Carina
by Puppy
Summary: One of Lydecker's kids is given a gift even she can't control. After the escape she makes her way in the world and helps Zack keep an eye on the other escapees. Suddenly she's the one who needs help and finds it in Eyes Only. Some action, some drama, s
1. Introduction part 1

I owe the idea of this story to RAINA89 from the official Dark Angel message board.   
In Desert Rose, they said something about how  
none of the escapees were mentally unstable. I though about this and wondered what  
would happen if one of the kids couldn't quite control their abilities. Then I thought  
Lydecker made Max with cat DNA so maybe he played around with human computer  
integration. This takes place right before Max meets Zack.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Carina   
Part 1 (The best made flaws)  
"I've been told I see things wrong. That's the only way my friends can explain it. I've  
never noticed anything different but I guess reality is just objective in that way. I do slip  
every once and a while though. When I have to make hard decisions I think of all the  
possibilities. I see all the numbers in my head and it becomes too much. Back at  
Manticore they all knew, my siblings that is. They gave me direct orders to follow, kept  
the teachers from asking me certain questions. After the escape when we entered the  
real world, I stayed with Jake. Zack had ordered it until I found a place, a purpose, as  
he put it. Jake left after I was adopted but Zack checks in on me every few months. I tell  
him the risk percentage of doing so but he says it's his responsibility."   
  
Carina walked the streets towards her work. It was a computer hacking company. Illegal  
but in the phone book. She wore dark shades so none one noticed she walked with her  
eyes closed. She when she first ran to Seattle, after leaving home, she found that she  
memorized everyone's face as she walked the streets. When she saw them everyday a  
little check mark entered in her mind and soon she was putting together data on  
everyone she saw. She couldn't help it, that was the way her mind worked, but it wasn't  
natural and it would drive her mad.   
  
She walked to the next corner, opened her eyes to check traffic and then closed them  
again. She didn't do this all her life. The town she grew up in only held 55 people the  
math was simple enough to not distract her but imagine doing statistical research in you  
head of a city holding a million people or more.   
  
She reached her building and walked across the lobby. She opened her eyes and smiled  
at Louise the desk receptionist. Everyone in the building had been shocked to find that  
Louise was a man but Carina knew. His hips moved at a degree that was unlikely for a  
woman no matter how he tried to hide it and his or her chest was too symmetrical. True  
that could a woman could have that kind of surgery done but added to other evidence it  
wasn't likely. She ran through all that evidence in her head as she always did when  
walking by Louise.   
  
She entered her office and hung her coat on the wall. She liked work, it gave her clear  
purpose and she was very good at it, which made her happy. The time she spent at  
Hackers Inc. made it the most recognized in the field. This had gained them several  
government contracts one of which had her barcode number stamped on it. In a lean  
month, Lydecker was forced to hire her company to do some of his legwork. She gained  
access to his system and had since systematically check, and changed his data on a  
regular basis. That made her happier than any other assignment up to date.   
  
Her work was traceable in the sense that she had used her own barcode number as a  
variant to the day she hacked and since her company is the only outside system used  
Lydecker used she knew it was only a matter of time before they picked up on it. Zack,  
however, had told her it was a justifiable risk to stay and keep up with it. She sent him  
all the data Lydecker collected and he moved people around accordingly.   
  
Carina sat and her desk and began to start her work. She flashed through the recent  
files and command codes used at Manticore and found one of interest. It was Max, well  
rather her barcode number. Carina pulled up Lydecker's report and was shocked to find  
that Max's barcode was seen in a local newspaper, in Seattle.   
  
She heard the footsteps coming down the hall and she minimized the window she was  
working on. She turned and looked as her supervisor walked through the door.   
  
"What can I do for you Mr. Lieffers?" She said with a stone cold expression.   
  
"I told you to call me Matt." He said as he walked up and sat on her desk right next to  
her.   
  
"And I told you that it was unprofessional."   
  
"You know our relationship doesn't have to be nearly so professional." He said smiling  
slyly at her.   
  
"While I find you slightly aesthetically pleasing, I assure you that you would have to gain  
150% more personality and stop fornicating with every new female associate."   
  
"So that's a no."   
  
"Actually loosely translated that's a go to hell...Mr. Lieffers." She responded then looked  
at him expectantly. "Was there anything else."   
  
"Oh...yeah I need the Smith report."   
  
"I'll have it to you within the hour." She turned back to her work as her got off her desk  
and walked out. She never could understand his behavior. She always turned him down  
and he would leave smiling. "Guys never followed a behavioral norm." She thought to  
herself. She got up and walked over to the window and opened it. She was expecting  
Zack within the hour and he was usually on the early side. She finished the repot on  
Voggelsang and then printed up the Smith report she finished a month ago. She had to  
keep up appearances after all.   
  
"Did you find Lydecker's report." Zack said as he climbed through the window.   
  
"I did. They bugged Voggelsang but the tape is incomplete for now."   
  
"How big of a risk is he?"   
  
"The report says that he has info on Jhonde, Mike, and you but it doesn't say what the  
info is. The risk is 80% to you 50% to Jhondie and Mike and 99.9% to Max."   
  
"99.9%?" Zack questioned.   
  
"He could get hit by a car." She said optimistically.   
  
"Did they get the location of Max's meeting with him."   
  
"No. They're still filtering through the background noise. But they will have it by the end  
of the week I suspect." Zack and Carina turned to look at the shut door as they heard  
the elevator open and people run out of it In Carina's head raced   
Possibility of this being Lydecker: 75% certainty.   
Possibility of him knowing who's responsible: 65% certainty.   
Possibility of.....   
Her mind calculated and calculated but she couldn't make a plan of action. Zack on the  
other hand instinctively barked out orders for her to escape and that command took  
over. They both climbed out the window and jumped the five stories to the ground and  
ran.   
------------------------------------------------------------   
I hope you liked it   
- Puppy  



	2. Carina 2 The best made flaws

Carina  
Part 2   
  
Carina waited in the empty room for Zack to return. He had left to take care of the private investigator and then to get his things. She mentally calculated when he would get to Voggelsang, when he would get to his apartment. He had given her orders to stay put if he didn't come back right away. She began to think of the possibilities of him being captured. The possibilities of him grabbing Max and running to the boarder. As the minutes went by the possibilities, the calculations became so much, and combined with the stress she was facing she could fell her mind wanting to snap. At least if her mind snapped she could feel some sort of release. She tried meditation to control herself from computing what might be going on. She failed and pulled out her mini laptop, maybe checking her messages would keep her mind occupied for a little while. She opened a file from EyesOnly. She had caught Mr. Cale hacking into the Manticore system and formed a little alliance with him. She didn't know why he trusted her but he gave her work to do at night and that at least kept her mind occupied.   
  
"Dear Hacker" She never gave him her real name. "I've caught wind of a private investigator researching Manticore kids. Can you find check to see if Lydecker has information on this. -Eyes Only" Disappointedly she typed a response.   
  
"Dear Eyes Only, I have already done so and I have found that although Lydecker has bugged Voggelsang he has little information. -Hacker." She sent the email then thought for a second. Mr. Cale, she knew, had access to good computer equipment. She contemplated the decision for a moment weighing the risk and thinking if she should wait here for Zack. He had been gone for too long and she decided that he would think it was an acceptable risk. After being alone with her thoughts, she knew she would go mad if she didn't do something soon.   
  
Carina waited until 3am before stepping out onto the street. There would be fewer people to distract her. A half-hour later she reached the large apartment building and scaled up the side to the penthouse. She walked around the ledge till she reached the computer room. She wasn't surprised to find a man sitting infront of the computer. She was startled, however, when a woman walked into the room. She flattened herself the wall and peered back into the room. She was 5'6 with auburn hair, lean build, and moved with a graceful flow. Carina noticed that the female's heat signature increased the closed she got to Mr. Cale. "It must be his girlfriend." She thought to herself. Carina had studied Mr Cale after first joining him. His family had stock in international countries and so when the pulse hit he was well provided for. He had also been married once to a woman named Valerie but they were divorced five years later. There were no pictures of him in any records. She had assumed that he had erased them to keep from being exposed.   
  
  
The woman handed Mr. Cale a cup of steaming dark liquid and read the screen. Carina's eyes focused in on the couple and although she noticed that they were both soaked, she couldn't make out their faces. She looked to the computer and saw her letter posted there. In the reflection, she saw the woman's face. Her mind integrated the image and compared it with her memory. She was almost knocked off the building with shock. It was Max her sister. Her human instincts took over and she hastily opened the window and jumped through. The couple whipped around, Max was automatically in attack stance. Carina just smiled and crossed the room towards them.   
  
"Max it's me...Carina." Max instantly smiled and met her with a hug. The two girls laughed happily. Logan watched with awe, he was learning to take these little intrusion in stride.   
  
"How did you find me." Max said holding Carina back to get a look at her.   
  
"I didn't. I came to us the computer." She glanced at Cale to see his shock. She quickly scanned his face. She had seen him four months ago at a market. He wasn't in a wheelchair then, she noted to herself. She remembered his face from a new broadcast, he was shot while saving a child. The child's mother was testifying against a businessman.   
  
"Logan?" Max said turning around to face a confused Logan. "Is there something you need to tell me?"   
  
"I wish I knew what that something was myself." He responded. Carina walked up and stuck her hand out for him to shake.   
  
"Hello Mr. Cale. I'm Carina, better known as Hacker." Logan smiled and shook her hand.   
  
"I should have know. Who else could have been so good." He said in awe   
  
"Don't mind him he just likes to think only super humans can beat him at anything." Max said grinning.   
  
"That's not true. Bling beats me at arm wrestling all the time." Carina studied the way they looked at each other. She saw signs of something between them. She recalled Max's protective stance when she had first entered. Her mind began scrutinizing and figuring percentages of what their relationship possibilities might be. She felt her humanity being chased away and the computer returning. Max saw her flinch and she looked at her with concern.   
  
"You okay?"   
  
"Yes just." She flinched again trying to keep control. "Mr. Cale please can you give me something to do." She pleaded   
  
"Yeah sure." Logan said frowning as he wheeled away from his computer and let her pull up a chair. "I was searching through police reports for anything to do with international slave trade. If you want to you can take over for a while." He said gently. Max and Logan watched as Carina was visibly having trouble keeping control of herself. Logan motioned Max out of the room.   
  
"Is she okay?" Logan asked.   
  
"I think so." Max said keeping Carina in sight. "Lydecker did a number on her. We think he put chips in her head." She looked back at Logan. "She's a walking computer with human emotions and whack sense of humor."   
  
"So do you know what's wrong with her now?" Logan asked with his usual intense look.   
  
"She goes a little crazy every once in a while. She analyzes everything and then can't decide on anything. Another of Lydecker's lemons."   
  
"I wouldn't go that far. She's been a source of mine for a long time. She's incredibly good at what she does. And so are you." He added with a smile.   
  
"You should see her fight." Max smiled. "You have to continuously change your techniques and even then she catches on to the pattern that you use to change."   
  
"So she beat you?" Logan grinned. Max glared at him.   
  
"I wouldn't go that far. You ask her something like 'what's the sound of one hand clapping and she freaks." Max looked back at her again concerned. "She's fragile. Needs clear orders and structure." She looked back at Logan. "I didn't think she would make it on the outside." Max watched Carina thoughtfully that turned to Logan. "I think I'll take you up on that crash offer. I don't want to leave her here with you alone."   
  
"Okay." He said trying to hide his pleasure. "I'm going to head off to bed." "Want to join me." He added in his mind.   
  
"Alright. I'll stay up and watch her. Maybe I can get a little info after she's calmed down."   
  
"Good night Max."   
  
"Night." Logan wheeled off towards his room. He though about this whole situation, amazed at how easily he just accepted that a human computer walking through his window. He decided he would think about it tomorrow and concentrated on other matters like what kind of great breakfast could he make for Max in the morning.   
  
  



	3. Carina 3 But I want to be field commande...

Thanks for all of the comments. I thought I'd mention that Carina was started on the Dark Angel message board on the official site and it's up to part 7. I recommend you stick to this site when reading my story because I always reedit and make the story better. There is, however, a lot of really good stories there as well. -puppy  
  
  
Carina  
Part 3   
  
Logan wheeled around the apartment looking for the dynamic duo and found Carina still typing away at the computer. The morning sun was coming up over the horizon and it lit up her auburn hair making it look like it was on fire.   
  
"Morning, Mr. Cale," she said without turning to look at him.  
  
"Morning, Carina. You can call me Logan you know." She turned around and smiled at him. Her face looked dramatically different. Her eyes had a tranquil glaze over them and her mouth curled up in a simple smile. She looked so much younger, almost like a kid. Tell anyone who saw that face that she was a computer enhanced genetically engineered killing machine and they would have laughed.   
  
"Okay. Come over and I'll show you what I found." Logan crossed the room and was amazed to find that she had typed out all of the variables and possibilities and came up with a three-page long conclusion with recommendations on action and percentages for success.  
  
"Wow, did you spend all night on this?" He said as he skimmed through the conclusion.   
  
"No. I was writing a search program for the Seattle Police department database. It will make your work go a little faster." Logan was speechless. "Thank you for the work." She got up gracefully and walked out of the room.   
  
"Where are you going?" Logan asked after her.  
  
"I may be a super human but sometimes a girl's just gotta pee and take a shower." Logan shook his head  
  
"Is this what Max meant about whack sense of humor? Speaking of Max," he thought to himself. He wheeled into the living room to find her asleep on the couch. He resisted a surge of panic because the only times he saw her sleep was when she was sick. He forced himself to calm down and reminded himself rationally that even superheroes needed sleep. He took a moment to watch her though. She was just like Carina in that she looked so much younger when she was peaceful. Max's expression was infectious and Logan sighed and smiled as he turned to head off towards the kitchen.   
  
Max awoke to the smell of something super yummy. She stood up, stretched, then walked to the kitchen.  
  
"Morning sleepy," Logan said cheerfully.   
  
"What's for breakfast?" she asked trying to look in the skillet.  
  
"Pancakes," he said happily.  
  
"What's that?" She asked as she walked to the cabinet.   
  
"You don't know what pancakes are?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
"We're not big on the breakfast foods in the slums of Seattle." She took out a glass filled it with water and gulped it down. "Want me to set the table?"   
  
"Sure." Max started taking out plates as Carina walked in with a towel wrapped around her head and her boots in her hand. She sat at the table and put them on. "Hey how you feeling?" Max asked cheerfully.  
  
"Much better. I did the research Logan needed and wrote a program that will help him in the future." Logan looked from Carina to Max. She was smiling with a kind of older sister pride.   
  
"You keep this up and he'll be offering you my job." Max joked.  
  
"Yeah but you turned down the field commander spot," Logan said with slight fake pout.  
  
"And the world still hasn't ended yet, imagine that," Max responded sarcastically. Carina smiled to herself. She could see their body heat rise. 100% possibility that they had a connection.   
  
"Love seems to be the constant," she thought to herself. "The only thing that 100% sure." As she finished tying her boots Logan loaded up a plate with pancakes and set it on the table in front of her. She gasped and stared at them. The background was flickering between Logan's and home and she could hear Max's concerned voice in the background. Reality was finally still and she sat at the kitchen table at her home back in Clarksville. Her four brothers and sisters ran in and grabbed all of the pancakes off the plate before she had a chance. Her mother walked up from behind and placed two perfect pancakes on her plate. Carina looked up at her and smiled.  
  
"Thanks, Mom." Her mother smiled warmly at her and walked back to the stove. Her reality suddenly changed again and she was watching herself crouched in a corner screaming. Her mother ran into the room to help her but was thrown back when she touched Carina. Carina flinched as she saw her mother fall to the floor and not get up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean too," she could hear her younger self say. She watched herself get up and run out of the room. Carina jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder.   
  
"Carina!" She heard Max say and the past faded away. Max lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "Carina!" She yelled again with concern.   
  
"I'm sorry," Carina said ducking her head away.   
  



	4. Carina 4 I should learn to just stick to...

I've gotten requests to combine sections since I've already written to part 9 on another site. I may start doing that but I just finished a 7 hour pizza delivery shift, it's two in the morning, I have to get up at 7 and I still haven't done my homework. It ain't happenin tonight. ;p tomorrow I'm going to try and focus on part 9b so you may only get part five then too but I will try for more I promise. -puppy p.s. you won't be disappointed when I get to 7 8 and 9 I guarantee.   
  
  
  
Carina  
Part 4   
  
Carina looked back up at Max with tears in her eyes.  
  
"Max I hurt her,." Carina said in a guilty voice. Max recognized the look in Carina's eyes. She had it whenever her past hurt someone she was close too. Their training kept them a step away from the human race. They looked normal and for the most part acted normal but something would always separate them. "I didn't mean to." Carina said desperately taking hold of Max's hands. "I just lost control and she tried to help. She was lying so still. I didn't know what to do." She lowered her head and began to sob. Max removed her hands from Carina's and put her arms around her. Logan sat there for a moment not knowing what to do watched the two and then went to turn the stove off. Carina pulled away from Max dried her tears. "I'm sorry Logan." Carina said looking up at him. "You've made such a wonderful breakfast and I'm ruining it." She smiled at him apologetically.   
  
"You're not." He said gently. "I just forgot how emotional pancakes were. I should learn to just stick to cereal." He said trying to keep her smiling. It worked and she laughed quietly. She didn't really get his humor but being around the two of them made her happy. Max sat in the chair next to Carina and picked up her silverware.   
  
"So you're going to have to teach me how to eat these things because I'm kind of at a loss here." She said smiling at Carina.   
  
"Okay." Carina said pulling on a smile. "So you gotta decide if you want fruit or syrup. Some people like to have both but then again some people like Zack...The world is random." Max shook her as Carina laughed at her own joke. They finished breakfast a while later, Logan in complete awe of how much they ate. Even as a kid, he couldn't eat that many sugary sweet concoctions.  
  
He left them in the living room giggling at childhood stories. He was curious about the program she had made and deep down worried about what else she had done to his baby. He opened a file that logged the history of file commands. He scrolled down through her search and programming when he came to a file created called LoganandMax. Fits of laughter from the other room interrupted his curiosity. He could have sworn he heard his name mentioned. He turned back to his computer and opened the file. He scrolled down a 5-page analysis of their 3-minute meeting last night. Incredibly curious he began to read the analysis of Max's behavior. Carina noticed every thing from the slight temperature increase in Max's body when she walked into the office and saw him to the jealousy she showed by berating him. Logan smiled to himself at Max's form of affection. He read through her analysis of his actions and scoffed indignantly.  
  
"I did not," he said unexpectedly. Surprised by himself he listened to the girls in the other room to see if they noticed. They didn't and he moved on to the conclusion.   
  
"Max seems to guard herself against her feelings for Logan though it is shown through her protectiveness and teasing that she cares about him. Logan, on the other hand, appears to be capable of showing his love. Despite this, it would seem that because of his extremely gentle nature her would never force her to expose herself. He is correct to assume that Max might run if he did so. Although both show love and concern for each other unless some event forces them together, they will remain friends. The conclusion is that I must intercede. Chance of this plan being successful, 99.9%. Reason for possible failure, some one could always get themselves killed."   
  
"Well that's morbid," Logan said out loud.  
  
"Yes but it's always possible. One must consider all possibilities. " Logan turned to find Carina watching him.   
  
"That's why you wrote it didn't you?" He smiled smugly. "You wrote this for me to find." He gave her a searching look but she just smiled back not revealing anything. She didn't show it in her expression but she didn't think that he would connect the dots. "Were just friends." He told her   
  
"Logan you can't lie to someone who can read your heartbeat."   
  
"I don't care what you think. Were just friends." He repeated sounding stubborn and a little haughty. He turned and wheeled out of the room. "Hey Max." He said as he passed her.  
  
"What's with him?" Max asked Carina.  
  
"Maybe it was the pancakes. They made him emotional." Carina said walking past Max out of the room. Max looked thoughtfully after the two of them then turned to the computer. She scrolled down the page reading it at super speed.   
  
"Carina!" Max yelled. Carina only smiled and started putting away the dishes.   



	5. Carina5&6 Do we get to do this everynigh...

So here are the "alleged" parts 5 and 6. I hope this satisfying enough for now. I gotta keep ya in suspense. Oh and I just finished part 10.   
  
As I promised; a little action, adventure, and serious a** kicking.  
  
Carina   
Part 5   
  
Max walked through Logan's door and was greeted by Carina's foot flying towards flying towards her face. Max ducked and with a reverse round kick buckled Carina's back leg throwing her to the floor with a thump. Max tilted her head and looked down at Carina.   
  
"That was pretty good." She smiled and walked towards the office. Logan wheeled out looking at Max then Carina on the floor and then Max again.   
  
"What happened?" he said puzzled at Max and Carina's smile.   
  
"We're just decreasing our age by two thirds." Carina said as she got to her feet.   
  
"Okay just don't break anything," he said uncertainly. He turned to go back to his office and them stopped and added. "or one."   
  
"So how was she today?" Max asked, following him into the office.   
  
"Good. We went shopping and she did a lot of work for me. I only got the computer back because she said she had to get ready to surprise you. Now I know why."   
  
"It won't happen...everyday." Max said still glowing with pleasure. She was going to enjoy the time Carina was here. Training with her in the past was always fun. "So why did you page me?"   
  
"I need you to do something for me." Logan pointed to the map he had displayed on the screen. "Dr. Yukio Tanaka, a very important geneticist, is landing here tonight. Matt asked if I could help with a little added security."   
  
"That's too risky. It's better in this city if the police don't know who you are, let them handle it." Max said flatly.   
  
"The police aren't involved in this. Tanaka's corporation hired a private security company."   
  
"Then why do you want me to be there?"   
  
"Because there is a terrorist who is threatening Mr. Tanaka. Their leaders name is Jon Darius. He's very dangerous." Logan said as he pulled up a picture of the terrorist. The photo isn't a surveillance photo but rather a still picture from a broadcast.   
  
"Old college roommate?" Max said jokingly.   
  
"No, but I have met him. The reason I really want your help on this is because." Logan opened another picture file. "Tanaka has his son with him." The photo flashed up on the screen of Tanaka holding a child in his arms smiling.   
  
"Why'd you have to go and do that?" Max whined.   
  
"The plane will be arriving at 10. You should be there by 8. I thought maybe you could take Carina with you."   
  
"Of course but you're going to owe me for this." She said as she straightened up and went to turn away.   
  
"How about dinner tomorrow night." He said smiling. She turned back and laughed a little at his grin.   
  
"It better one great dinner." Max ordered.   
  
"Oh it will be." Logan assured. Max looked at him for a second and then turned to go brief Carina.   
---------------------------------------------------   
Carina   
Part 6   
  
Carina's auburn hair danced in the air behind her as Max took the bike to full speed. It would only take a half-hour to get to the airport but they were an hour late. Max turned off her headlight when they got within two miles and they rode silently along the abandoned road. The pine trees cast eerie shadows but Carina didn't see any motion in the woods. As they neared the edge Max pulled off the road and drove to the dense underbrush she had scouted out.   
  
Carina swung her leg over the bike and walked to the edge where she had a clear view of the airport. Max's eyes refocused and she searched the airport but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.   
  
"Max look at 10 o'clock," Carina said as she pointed the woods on the left side. Max looked through the trees and she could just barely see movement.   
  
"How many are there?" she asked, kind of disappointed that she didn't spot them first.   
  
"I can see 13 heat signatures. They have automatic weapons and several shielded cars. I can't see inside them but there probably isn't anyone there." Max nodded and thought.   
  
"Look around again and make sure that's it." Carina did so knowing that there would be none. The group that Logan described was a flashy group. That was their main weakness because they were more interested in the whole effect rather than the mission. The wanted to storm the airport in a herd. It was rather silly. "The percentage of their goal being attained is only 60%." She said to Max. Max looked at her confused. "That is not including our presence. Their chance of success now is only 98%."   
  
"98?" Max questioned not sure she wanted to know the answer.   
  
"Something could be unforeseen. There could be a bog between us; the plane could be early. You also have forgotten to take off your pager. "   
  
"Oh," Max said as she unclipped her pager and set it on her bike. "Let's go." Max said and started to run through the trees towards the objective.   
  
"Yes, field commander," Carina said smugly. Max stopped and turned around, pointing her finger at Carina.   
  
"Don't call me that again." She stared at Carina for a second for the effect and then returned at running.   
  
They reached the target approximately 3 minutes later and Max motioned Carina to stop while she went around to the other side. Carina counted in her head to 30 while taking the black capsules out of a case in her pocket. On 30, she and Max threw them into the center of the group. Carina waited till the fog covered the group and then rushed the first guy. She fell to the ground with him and reached for the pressure point on his neck. She jumped up, did a round off and landed with her feet planted squarely on the next guy's chest. She kicked him in the head and stopped a second to make sure he was out.   
  
She saw the next guy with his gun drawn and using it to feel through the fog. Silently she crept up behind him and tapped on his shoulder. As he whipped around she grabbed his gun and used it to hit him upside the head. Suddenly a man grabbed her around the neck and she deftly cracked him in the face with the  
handle of the gun. She turned around, kneed him in the stomach and again used the pressure point in his neck to put him out.   
  
Just as she turned, she saw a man thundering towards her. She ducked and used his momentum to flip him and slam him to the ground. In the distance, she heard an occasional grunt or manly cry of pain. She looked for the remaining three men and found them trying to get into the two Hummers. She threw her arms down and knives suddenly appeared in her hands. She threw them accurately, hearing the proof of two hissing tires. She ran up to the Hummer just as the door opened. She reached in, grabbed the man trying to get out and pulled him up just enough to slam his head back into the frame and let go as he fell out and to the ground. She watched as Max dispatched the two trying to get out of the other Hummer.   
  
"Ha!" Max said smugly "I got one more that you," The wind suddenly picked up and blew the fog away.   
  
"Yeah but I was neat with my toys." Max looked with astonishment as all of Carina's men were pilled on one another.   
  
"Quantity over quality," Max corrected her with attitude.   
  
They continued to the airstrip and watched the plane set down from a distance. They stayed until Dr. Tanaka and his son were safely in the limo.   
  
"Do we get to do this everynight?" Carina asked smiling happily.   
  
"Man Logan must love you." Max said as she turned to walk back to the woods.   
  
"No, Logan loves you." Max, stunned, slowed her stride for a moment and then continued at a some what quick pace.   
  
"What, no percentage?" Max quipped back.   
  
"100% certainty," Carina stated positively. Max turned around with a slightly annoyed expression on her face.   
  
"Nothing is certain you said that once yourself."   
  
"Love is different and your intense denial shows that you know I am speaking truthfully." Carina said while lifting an eyebrow.   
  
"We're just friends." Max stated then turned and began to walk again. Carina only smiled as she walked behind her.   
-----------------------------------------------------------  
So what do you think?  
Tomorrow's post won't go up till late because of work. Sorry. -puppy  
  



	6. Carina7, 8 & 9a I don't break

I think I'm spoiling you all by doing this but here is parts 7,8,&9a. Don't ask why (about the a part) that's just how it was written. I hope you like it and I promise it gets even more interesting. -puppy   
  
Carina   
Part 7   
Carina sat quietly on the floor of Logan's living room. She had gotten his permission and moved the furniture and rug off to the edges of the room. She sat silently, her legs crossed Indian style, her eyes closed, and thought, or rather she tried not to.   
  
Every once and a while she heard the soft sound of tires wheeling across the wooden floor and stopping at the edge of the room. She knew he was worried about her. Max had no doubt filled him in on her condition. But the worry Logan felt for her went beyond their partnership and beyond the sisterhood she shared with Max. It warmed her heart that someone she had just met had that much concern for her. It felt like home. She waited for the soft sound to start again and for Logan to return to the computer room.   
  
Taking a deep breath she stretched her legs out in front of her and then to the sides as far as she could. She placed her hands out in front of her she leaned forward. Pulling all of her weight onto her arms she stayed that way, her legs levitating off the floor about an inch. Slowly pulling herself up vertebrae by vertebrae, she lifted herself to a handstand with her legs still pointing out to opposite sides. She was suddenly startled by the doorbell but held her position. She again heard the sound of Logan's wheelchair heading towards the door. She couldn't stop the information from flashing through her head but while in such a relaxed stated she flowed along with it. "It was safe," was the answer her mind came up with. "Despite his work most dangerous people don't ring the doorbell." She continued with her exercise while keeping part of her mind on their conversation. She slowly picked one hand up and itched her nose before setting it back down. She then starting to bring her legs upward.   
  
Logan wheeled to the door. He wasn't expecting anybody. He even had Bling take a bit of a vacation, despite his protests, since Carina arrived. Logan left the chain on and peeked out.   
  
"Hey Logan," the young man said cheerfully. Logan shut the door, undid the chain and let him in.   
  
"Hi Jake how..." Logan began but was interrupted by a loud thump. Immediately he went for the living room. "Carina!" he shouted. He was almost there when she suddenly swept by him with her head tilted back and her hand over her nose.   
  
"I'm okay." She stated in a nasal tone as she rushed to the kitchen. He could see blood through her fingers. He followed her and watched as she went for a towel.   
  
A few minutes later Logan had her sitting down with her head over the back of a chair while he held ice to her nose.   
  
"I don't think you broke it." He said lifting the ice a little to get a look.   
  
"I don't break, Logan," she answered forcing a smile.   
  
"Your human, you do break. Here hold the ice." She took a hold of it as he went to get a fresh towel.   
  
"Can I?" Jake said stepping out of the backdrop and gesturing towards her face. She took off the ice and let him assess the damage. She was expecting it to hurt when he put his fingers on either side of her nose but his was touch was very light.   
  
"There's a lot of kids in my family. A lot of broken noses and with the pulse you didn't go to the doctor a lot." He took his hands away. "Amazingly enough it was my sisters doing most the breaking." She looked up into his warm brown eyes upside down and smiled. He was tall, of medium build. His hair was dark brown and looked perfectly in place. He didn't look anything like her manticore brother who had blue harsh eyes and blond hair. This Jake was kind and gentle.   
  
"So doctor, what's the prognosis." She said trying to lighten her usually measured voice. She placed the icepack back over her nose trying to hide her blush as he gazed at her intensely.   
  
"You'll live." He stepped away to let Logan give her a fresh towel with new ice.   
  
"Hey Jake can you give us a second?" Logan asked.   
  
"Yeah sure I'll just get the equipment out of the van." He took a second to smile at Carina then walked out of the kitchen.   
  
"So you going to tell me?" He prodded gentle.   
  
"It was just his name. It took me by surprise. Logan I promise I won't turn into a basket case every time my past comes up..." Logan interrupted her.   
  
"I understand. You're in a new place and it will take time." That wasn't what she was about to say but she just smiled. She was going to tell him how safe this place felt and how it was like opening a floodgate she didn't know how to close. But he knew that, she could see it in his eyes.   
  
Carina   
Part 8   
  
Logan ordered her to stay in the kitchen for a half hour and until she stopped bleeding. So she sat there...and sighed. She didn't feel silly so much as useless. The boys were in the other room hooking up new equipment and she wanted to help. She felt like a poor kid whimpering out side a toy store. Sighing again she filtered through the music that Logan was playing to try and listen to their conversation. To her annoyance, they weren't saying anything. She tuned the music back in and listened to the soothing melody. She had never heard this piece before so she was studying it so intensely that she didn't hear when they finally did talk.   
  
"So who is Carina?" Jake asked trying to sound nonchalant but after twenty minutes of silent computer work it came out awkward.   
  
"Max's sister." Logan said flatly. He wasn't expecting to talk about her and didn't really want to.   
  
"Really? They don't look much alike." Jake baited, he knew Logan was hiding something and he knew who Max was. One day when he was over, he had seen her barcode and with the connections his father had from working the black market, he easily found out what it meant.   
  
"Different mother." Logan answered reluctantly. "So the boss never told me what he ordered," Logan lied. "What does this do?"   
  
"It sets up a direct link between your laptop and computer using satellites. You can use any program that you have on your main unit on the laptop." Jake put the cover back on Logan's CPU and screwed it back together. "It's like a network but your not downloading the programs you just sending commands through the laptop. The main system does what you want it to then sends back the results."   
  
"That can't be secure." Carina said uncertainly. Logan and Jake turned around to see her standing in the doorway. "Half hours up." She said when Logan was about to protest.   
  
"It is I assure you." Jake grinned at her then went to the keyboard and finished the installation for the program. "The message is scrambled and any computer that gets between the satellite and one of the units will be stalled with useless static if it doesn't have the codes ready. Here we go."   
  
Carina's eyes went wide as she suddenly assimilated what he said. She heard Logan yell "Jake no!" as the useless static coursed into her brain. It felt worse than any panic attack she had ever had. She couldn't control it, couldn't organize it. She cried out and clutched her head. The pain stabbed through her and she felt herself drifting away as if the chips in her head were erasing her character to make room for the information.   
  
Logan's head had snapped to Carina to see her looking at him. Her eyes were filled with terror as Jake hit the enter key. He had heard himself yell out to Jake but it was too late and time seem to be going in slow motion. Her scream brought everything thing back to focus and he turned to a confused Jake.   
  
"Turn it off." Logan commanded.   
  
"I can't it's a permanent connection, it's only a prototype."   
  
"Then uninstall the program." Logan yelled at him. Jake seemed to suddenly get control of himself and turned back to the computer. He was searching for the uninstall program. Logan turned back to Carina as she dropped to her knees. She was still clutching her head but her scream was more of a cry and she was starting to shake.   
  
"It's uninstalling now." Jake said as he jumped out of his chair to get to her. The computer beeped, signaling the successful uninstall. He skidded to his knees in front of her and held her by the shoulders. She stopped crying but he was unsettled that her eyes were glazed over and she continued to shake. "Logan what's going on? This isn't right." Jake placed his hands on the sides of her head and tried to get her to look at him. "Carina." He said, his voice quivering with fear. "Carina look at me." He commanded but she just continued to shake.   
  
Logan's mind raced through the past few days. Max had said something about why she went crazy. He suddenly realized it. "It's the static. Her brain is trying to analyze it."   
  
"Why? It shouldn't even effect her." Jake didn't look away from Carina so he couldn't see the torn look in his eyes.   
  
"You have to tell him," Logan thought. "He might be able to help." "She's got chips in her head." Logan's answered hesitantly. Jake looked at him with realization, shock, and incredible guilt.   
  
"Oh God." He whispered to himself. His mind was racing thinking of what the static did to normal computers and terrified of what it would do to a human computer. He watched as her hyperventilating was slowing and her body was suddenly racked with one more shutter before she collapsed.   
  
"Carina!" He cried as she lifted her head to see her eyes still glazed over.   
  
"Is she breathing?" Logan asked starting to panic.   
  
"I don't think so." Jake set her carefully on the floor and listened for her breathing. He picked up her wrist and checked her pulse. "I don't feel anything." Almost automatically he tucked her head back and started to do CPR. Logan pulled out his cell phone and dialed Jam Pony, all the while praying Max was between runs.   
  
"Jam Pony's messenger service." Normal answered.   
  
"I need to talk to Max."   
  
"Personal calls aren't allowed on company time." Normal said annoyed and about to hang up.   
  
"This is a personal emergency. Her sister is having seizures I need to reach her." Logan lied.   
  
"Max doesn't have a sister. Her application specifically said no next of..." Logan knew Max had grabbed the phone out of his hand and waited.   
  
"What's wrong?"   
  
"She shut off. Do you know what to do?" Logan said trying to sound clear although his thoughts were racing.   
  
"Yeah, listen carefully. At the base of her skull, where her neck starts there is an indentation. Push there until you hear a click. It'll take a sec but she'll be okay."   
  
"Okay but come home as soon as you can."   
  
"I'm on my way." Max hung up the phone and looked up at Normal.   
  
"Only if you work on Saturday." He responded.   
  
"My sister's dying and you're hitting me up for more hours." She whined in disbelief. "Fine." She yelled as she turned to rushed towards the door..   
  
"Sit her up," Logan said as wheeled to her. Jake held her up while Logan pushed her hair aside and reached for the point Max told him about. He held his breath as he felt around for what he thought he would feel. He pressed on what he assumed was bone but it gave way and clicked. He released the air he was holding and looked at the expectant Jake. "I think that was the reset. Max said it would take a sec."   
  
Jake tipped her head back and looked at her face. Her eyes were still glazed but he let out a sigh of relief as she started to breathe again. He reached out and brushed his hand against her cheek.   
  
"Carina." He called softly. Her eyes blinked once and then twice and then started to focus on him. "Hey welcome back." She wanted to respond but her mind was numb still. In the corner of her sight, she saw a red blinking light. He watched as her eyes were starting to close despite her obvious attempts to fight it. "You should sleep." He urged. Upon that, she let her eyes close and her head fall to the side.  
  
Part 9a   
  
Jake lay her on the guest room bed and covered her. He studied her intensely. She was perfect despite her little swollen red nose. He reached out and brushed some hair out of her face. He felt that part of him, that had bulldog protectiveness for his family, extend to include her.   
  
"I've just met you and I've almost killed yourself twice." He laughed ironically. "We really shouldn't start things out like this angel." He took one last look at her and walked out of the room. Just as he closed the door behind him, Max rushed through the front door.   
  
"Is she okay?" Max asked Logan in that pout that made her incredibly cute.   
  
"She's sleeping." Jake answered. Max looked at him in shock and then looked questioningly at Logan. If Jake didn't know to look, he wouldn't have seen Logan shake his head slightly.   
  
"Max we think the program was turned off before it caused too much harm." Jake said assuredly. Max's head snapped to Logan with a look that Jake was glad wasn't directed at him.   
  
"What program?" She practically yelled. Logan felt like a deer in a semi's headlights, he saw it coming but their was nothing he could do. "Jake," she said without looking at him, "give us a minute." Jake waited for Logan's nod of assurance and then thankfully retreated into the bedroom and silently wished Logan good luck.  



	7. Carina9b&10 silence

I'm spoiling you I swear. Oh well I don't mind. Here is part 9b and 10. Part 11 is just Max and Logan so if you guys have suggestions they are welcome as always :). -Puppy  
  
  
Carina 9b   
  
"You scrambled her!" Max yelled in disbelief. Logan had just finished telling her exactly what had happened.   
  
"That's not exactly how it happened," Logan deflected trying to control his temper. "For a genetically engineered soldier she lets her judgement be clouded by emotion an awful fucking lot," he thought to himself.   
  
"So your telling me you didn't stick her in the path of a computer that sent a scrambled signal through her head." She retorted. Her angry stare was only met with his open mouth searching for a reply. He closed it and just stared at her. "I trusted you to watch over her," Max said angrily then whipped around heading for the guest bedroom.   
  
"Max," He called to her. "Max," He said a little harsher. She turned back to him and he swore he could see steam rolling off of her she looked so angry. "It was a mistake." He said as calmly as he could. She was being irrational and it was frustrating. "and I'm sorry it happened. But you said she would be alright."   
  
"That's when I thought you asked her what the sound of one hand clapping was. That amount of information could have fried her chips." Logan watched as something changed in her. It wasn't her intensity but something else. "Do you know what they were going to do to her?" She paused for his response.   
  
"No," he said quietly.   
  
"They were going to take her apart because she was flawed." The look in her eyes scarred Logan. "They were going to take her apart piece by piece and study her just like they did with all the other kids who weren't quite perfect."   
  
"You're not at Manticore Max," He said forcefully. "When she wakes up she's going to be fine. No one is going to study her and no one is going to study you," he hit the chord in her that he was searching for and she was silent. She starred at him for a long time with an unreadable expression then sighed and her worried pout returned.   
  
"I can't lose her Logan."   
  
"I know," He responded. He wanted to reach out and comfort her but his handicap prevented him from standing up and holding her. Without really thinking he reached out his hand and called her name gently. She took it, let herself be pulled into his lap, and tucked her head next to his. He put his arms around her and they sat in silence.   
  
  
Carina   
Part 10   
  
Max knew the sun had gone down but she barely saw the orange tones that drifted lazily through the room. She was so mindless with worry that she barely noticed as the light disappeared. She kept waiting for Carina to walk through that door, smiling, but she didn't. Max had already seen two of her siblings fall, one in the snow and one at the end of Lydecker's gun. Max's heart cried for them but Carina was like her baby sister, she was the one who needed protection.   
  
Max suddenly woke out of her daze. It was well into the night and the room was lit by the dim moonlight. A yellow glow flowed towards her from under the door of the bedroom, almost as if it was beckoning her. She breathed deeply as if to collect courage from the air and made up her mind. She would walk through the door. "Calm down girl." She thought to herself. "It's only a door." Somehow, it was more than that. Max and Carina's God peered down through squinty eyes at them, hid behind automatic weapons, and armed soldiers. They escaped his world but the fear was still there. She was afraid because somewhere in the back of her mind she thought the only person who might be able to help her baby sister was that man. She was helpless.   
  
She looked back at Logan, not blaming him for falling asleep. They had been sitting there for hours. "Let me go Logan." She whispered in his ear hoping he wouldn't wake up but just do it in his sleep. He mumbled something that sounded like a refusal and held on even tighter. She smiled a little then suddenly suppressed it, feeling a little guilty. She felt she should be in the other room with her sister. She easily pried Logan's arms away from her and set them on the armrests of his chair. During their fight she just wanted to bitch slap him up side the head for being so busy with his new toy's to think about Carina. But she knew better. Logan was decently level headed. He just didn't know. That's what she told herself as she lifted herself up slowly trying not to wake him. She suddenly felt harder inside as Logan's comforting aura left her. She took in another deep breath and walked across the room only to pause again with her hand on the doorknob.   
  
Jake turned too see Max walk through the door. She looked from Carina to him, she seemed almost disappointed to find him there.   
  
"Hi Max." He said kindly.   
  
"Hey Jake. Can I have a minute alone with her." Jake nodded and vacated the chair next to the bed. He made sure to take one last look at Carina before walking out.   
  
Max watched him go then slowly went to take his chair. Her face again reassumed it's worried pout. She reached out for Carina's hand finding it warm, probably from Jake's touch.   
  
"He likes you," Max said quietly to her trying to ignore what she was feeling. She placed a kiss on Carina's hand and held it to her cheek. A tear fell down it and Max sighed sadly. "You have to find your way back. That's an order soldier," Max tried to keep her voice from quivering but she couldn't help it. "We have work to do. Wake up." Max forced herself to bark out the order a little. "I order you to wake up." She said a little rougher. "Do you want to be court-martialed soldier," her voice betrayed her and she could only whisper the end. She entwined Carina's fingers in her own. She reached with her other hand and stroked her face lightly. "Come back to me...please"   
  
Max watched as Carina's eyes slowly opened and she blinked. Max's frown turned into a smile and she blinked away the few tears that were becoming unnecessary. "Hey." Max whispered.   
  
Carina closed her eyes for a second and forced out a weak "Hey."   
  
"I was worried," Max said still talking softly.   
  
"About me?" Carina said with difficulty.   
  
"No the other invalid lying next to you," she said smartly. Carina felt warm inside from Max's statement and that's when she realized that something was very different.   
  
"Max," she said in a worried voice. "I can't hear it." Carina's eyes filled with tears. The computer was silent in her head and it made her more scared than she had ever been in her life.   



	8. Carina11&12You make me not want to give ...

I meant to post this last night but...well...I think there's drool on my keyboard were I feel asleep. I didn't change out of my work uniform before I passed out on the couch. Anyway, I hope this will last you a while because now your caught up with the other site and I'm at a loss about what's exactly next. Enjoy -puppy p.s. woof  
  
Carina   
Part 11  
  
"Is this what you see?" Carina said with a smile. Her scared tears were still trailing down her cheeks as she looked around the room but she was smiling nonetheless. Her eyes trailed around the large guest room and she saw all of the rich colors and objects and that was it. The simplicity was so powerful almost like she was in a whole new world. She turned to Max and was stunned. There was no analyzing of her features or of body temperature. There was just her face, something Carina had never really been able to see. She reached out and touched her face. "Max, you're so beautiful." Max put her hand up to Carina's, took it away from her face, and held it. A little smile appeared on her lips.   
  
Carina turned to look up at the ceiling. "Remember you told me...that after the escape it was like everything was in color all of a sudden. Max that's what it feels like. There's no mission, just me in here." Carina went to sit up, she was eager to explore the apartment and see what else was different but a blinding pain surged through her head. She cried out a little and let Max push her back down. She looked up at Max's worried expression. "It's just a head ache." She lied. "Do you think Logan has any aspirin." Max nodded and got up to leave the room.  
  
She walked into the kitchen to find Logan and Jake sitting at the table. They stopped talking as soon as she walked in. Max walked by them to the cabinets and got out aspirin and a glass of water. She set them infront of Jake and motioned to the bedroom with her head.  
  
"Go on," she said. Jake grabbed the bottle and glass and hurried out.   
  
"So she's awake?" Logan asked, as she took the vacated seat. She didn't look at him just studied the grain of the table.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Is she okay?"   
  
"I think so," she paused for a moment thinking about what Carina had said and Logan waited patiently. "She said she can't hear the computer any more." Max frowned and looked up at Logan.  
  
"Is that a good or bad?"  
  
"I don't know. It's been with her so long."  
  
"It's like losing a piece of her," Logan said completing her thought.   
  
"This could be bad." Logan could swear that he saw fear in her eyes.   
  
"All we can do is watch her. Make sure she doesn't do anything rash."  
  
"Jake will probably stay with her a while but he looks exhausted. I'll take over after he's crashed. Why don't you try to get some more sleep so you can watch her while I'm at work." Logan nodded and held her glance for a moment, trying to reassure her at least with his eyes. He wheeled back away from the table and stopped by her on the way out. He put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"It'll be okay Max," he said hoping he sounded more assured then her felt.  
  
"Promise?" She questioned without looking back at him. He tilted his head down and frowned a little then rolled off for his room.   
  
  
  
Carina  
Part 12  
  
As soon as Max left the room Carina sighed. "What was this feeling...guilt," she thought. Max deserved to know. It was true that the computer wasn't with her...now. But there was a blinking in her mind. She couldn't physically see it but it was there. It was waiting for her to initiate a run command. But it was strange where normally she would have thought before talking, now it just was blurted out. The simplicity was becoming deafening.   
  
She didn't have to initiate the file. Reality is objective she told herself. She would learn to deal with it. She could just be normal, well...as normal as a Manticore soldier could be. She didn't have to do it, she reminded herself. Maybe this time she would believe her own words.   
  
The door opened a crack and Jake's head appeared.  
  
"Can I come in?"  
  
"Sure," she was relieved and a little worried for the distraction.   
  
"How are you feeling?" He asked as he placed the glass and aspirin on the table and sat in the chair.   
  
"Like I was whacked up side the head with a scrambling signal the size of a pre-pulse semi." (I was going to say by a Jam Pony Stick TM. but I don't have permission). Instantly she cringed from saying that. "I didn't mean it that way," she added aloud, not able to stop herself again.   
  
"I'm sorry about what happened," he said. She had to smile at him. He looked like her childhood puppy after she ate her mom's shoes.   
  
"It's okay you didn't know." She said trying not to smile. Just like she was for Max she was looking at him through a new perspective. She would say he was fine if she ever used language like that. His actions weren't just reactive to what he was feeling anymore, they were charming. Analyzing would always be part of her character but now she could let herself enjoy this moment. All the pain was worth feeling what his smile did to her.   
  
She carefully sat up, trying to ignore the throbbing. It was so heavy that it made her dizzy so she downed the pills and drank the water as fast as possible. The whole while Jake was staring intensely at her. "You're making me nervous," She said, trying not to blush under his gaze. His intenseness was making her a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't only because of her attraction to him, but because she was unsure how much he knew. The soldier in her knew it was tactically to her disadvantage.   
  
"Sorry," he said, purposely ignoring her blunt hint and continuing to stare. She lay back down, closed her eyes, and sighed, as the lack of throbbing was almost bliss. To her shock, she felt the covers being pulled up around her. She opened her eyes to find Jake leaning over her, tucking her in. For the first time in her life, she felt so completely human. The feeling settled in around her, bought some property and raised a family. He knew, what exactly she wasn't sure but her knew about her and he wasn't scared. On the contrary, he wanted to be near her. He gently kissed her on the forehead and she broke down.  
  
"Jake what do you know about me?" She asked in a rush the old edge on her voice returning a little. She kicked herself inside. The moment was so perfect, d**n the soldier in her for not letting it last longer and d**n herself for not stopping it. Her worries were smashed into itty bitty little pieces as a smile formed on his lips. Her heart fluttered and she responded by biting her bottom lip to keep from smiling. "Down girl," she though, "just get the information...but that is a great smile." She shook off the urge to just reach out and kiss him. "Great time for control Carina," she said to herself half sarcastically half seriously.   
  
"I know more than even Logan would tell me. I know about the barcode..." All warm and squishy feelings were gone at the mention of that ill-fated birthmark. Only fear that she would do something rash helped her keep composure. "My father is a black market dealer, he's a good man," he defended automatically. "He gives toothpaste to orphans and stuff like that. He never deals in bad stuff. He's like the neighborhood grocer." Jake was rambling on in his father's defense because he wanted her to trust him. "Anyway I saw Max's barcode and asked into it."   
  
"Jake you can't do that. Asking questions about us could expose us and will get you killed with all certainty," she half scolded half warned.   
  
"I haven't lived this long and not learned a few tricks. Besides, I got the information through one of Logan's informants. He's a good man," he said trying to put her at ease. He paused for a moment trying to gather the courage for what he was going to ask. "You don't have to answer this but I have to ask...What is it like? I mean with the chips." He regretted having asked as soon as she turned away from him.   
  
"Before today I wouldn't have know how to answer that...but it seems that my head is quiet." She looked back at him to see that puppy look again. "I could turn them back on but I don't know if I should. I don't know what to do. I feel so out of control."  
  
"Why don't you turn them back on?" He asked simply, not having the full story.  
  
"Because if I turn on the programs I can't turn them off." She paused. "This right here is the reason I don't want to. Before I would only be like an observer, analyzing and thinking and interacting but still an observer." She looked deep into his dark brown eyes and the rest just fell out of her mouth. "You make me not want to give that up." Her eyes were filled with shock as she head that come out. "I didn't mean that...I mean I did but I didn't want to say...well I did but...ohh," she feeling frustrated and trapped and pulled the blankets over her face hoping that if she brought them down he would not be there. Her cheeks and heart and well the whole rest of her body was flushed. She was disappointed, but only a little to hear his warm laughter in response. "Please don't laugh," she said rather pathetically. She felt the blanket being pulled down away from her face and she tingled from the feeling it made on her already over sensitized skin. She looked up to find his face only about a foot away from hers.   
  
"You know my mother once told me that I would never see my dream girl if I was looking so hard at computers. I think she would be pleasantly surprised to find herself wrong." Carina looked at him and whined then pulled the covers back over her head.   
  
"Your not allowed to be charming."  
  
"Is it against the rules?" he laughed.  
  
"Most definitely. You have to go now before I do something unadvisable."  
  
"Like what?" He asked curiously  
  
"Either hit you or kiss you, which ever reflex takes over." She said extremely serious about not knowing which reflex would take over. She felt trapped and...well...not so trapped. She felt the sheet being pulled down again and she squeezed her eyes shut trying to refrain from doing anything except bite her lower lip.   
  
"I'll take my chances," Jake said as he brushed her lips with a light kiss. Reluctantly she released her lower lip from her teeth and started to kiss him back. His mouth was so gentle and giving she didn't ever want to stop but something made her. It was panic.  
  
"I'm sorry I can't," She said as she pulled away. She sat up, scooted off the bed, and tried to leave. She only got a foot before the blinding pain hit her again. She cried out and grabbed her head. She began to feel like she was falling when two strong arms picked her up and carried her back to the bed.  
  
A few moments later she felt something cold and wet pressing against her head and she started to feel the pain dull a little. "I'm sorry," she whispered. He hushed her by placing his finger to her lips and continued to wipe her forehead with a cold cloth. He waited until she fell back asleep and then went to go find Logan and Max.  
  
He found Max was still sitting at the kitchen table.   
  
"Max, Carina needs to see a doctor." She responded with a frown. "I know why it's complicated but she's not doing well. She could have a hemorrhage or something and I just have a feeling that she needs help now." Max deliberated in her head for a moment then stood up.   
  
"I'll get Logan."   



	9. Carina 13a all she can be

Thanks for you patience. I needed to take a break and focus on something easy. The something easy was titled "The Royal Treatment" if any of you want to check it out. Okay, shameless promotion over now the credits. Thanks to DAF9 from the official fox site message board for the idea of going to Sebastian. Thanks to my dad for sitting through a rapid-fire q&a session about organic chips (he got a little annoyed when I came back to ask a question every 10 seconds) and for letting me use his computer because mine's in the dorm. Special thanks to Ana, who had to add a comma every other sentence.  
  
  
Carina 13a (all she can be)  
  
They sat in Sebastian's office, silence dominated as they peered at the computer read outs in front of them. "I've never seen this kind of technology," Sebastian said through his computer, breaking the silence. "The Chinese were experimenting with organic computer chip implants, but they never came close to a working prototype."   
  
"But if the chips were organic, how did they pick up on the scrambling signal?" Max asked curiously.   
  
"Here," he said as he mysteriously zoomed in on her x-rays displayed on the screen. "It appears to be metal, possibly some kind of transceiver. "  
  
"Leave to good ol' Lydecker to make her all she can be," Max said sarcastically. "Do you know what's wrong with her?" She said looking at Sebastian, although his eyes didn't look away from the screen.   
  
"The chips in her head are completely filled with data. They appear to be undamaged but without memory space there is no way to open a program to compress or purge the unwanted files. And without getting rid of files she will not have enough memory to run any programs. She is stuck."   
  
"But didn't she say that it was waiting for her to enter a run command?" Max questioned and looked to Logan.   
  
"It probably is," Logan answered. "But even if she initiated the command, the programs wouldn't be able to do anything." He turned to Sebastian, "What do you think we should do?"  
  
"It is difficult to say. The chips are organic which means replacing any of them is tricky. First, to remove a chip holding a vital program may cause more damage. Second, blood vessels supply the chips with the nourishment they need to maintain themselves, which would make replacing them extremely difficult."  
  
"Can we leave her like this? Let the human part heal?" Max asked. Carina had seemed so happy when she had said the computer was gone, Max hoped this was the answer.   
  
"No." Sebastian answered. Max frowned and looked to Logan. He gave her an equally concerned look as Sebastian continued. "You said that when you shut off her system, she stopped breathing. It appears that she has an emergency system going, but look at her nose." Max looked at Carina through the glass and she saw Jake holding a cloth to her nose. The white cloth was speckled with blood. Upon arriving Carina had tried to walk and before Jake could catch her, she had hit the pavement. It had started her nose bleeding again and it had been bleeding all during her examinations. "It appears that her body has lost the ability to regenerate itself as quickly." Max again frowned.   
"But what does her immune system have to do with the implants in her head?" she argued. "The cells are made through glands and are controlled by chemicals. Her circuiting shouldn't affect them, at least in the short run,"  
  
"No," Logan said drawing Max's glance even though he stared at the computer, "The heart would normally pump extra blood to that area. But now it's set at a precise beat because of the program," he frowned and looked back at Max, "with Manticore genetics it would even make sense if they computerized some of her immune system cells. "  
  
"What? Like nanoprobes?" She said in disbelief.  
  
"It is possible," Sebastian added. "Whatever the reason, her system is breaking down. She is growing weaker, and without the ability to heal and maintain the chips, she will die." Max looked at Carina for a long time and tears formed in her eyes. She remembered when she had lost Brin to Manticore's fucked up genetics. For all the strength and all of the skills Max had, they didn't count for anything when it came to saving them.   
  
"I won't lose another sister," she said determinedly, then looked back at the two men. "Tell me what to do."  
  
"I need more information on where the chips are located and what they control," Sebastian answered.   
  
"Is there anyway around it?" Logan asked. He knew Max, she would march into Manticore if it meant saving her sister.  
"There are too many complications to deal with. We must get her schematics."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
I've already started on 13b and I have idea's on 14 so it won't be too long to an update. -puppy  



	10. Carina13b to stay here with you

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I'm not to fond of editing but my   
beta, Ana, is wonderful so I can't cheat and post it unedited. Come visit me at   
forums.delphi.com/darkangelfans/messages it's a great place to chill and they   
love newcomers. Oh but Carina is finished there and long since disappeared down   
the list. The 2nd and 3rd parts of the trilogy are started but no cheating!!   
  
If you want to light the fire under my butt to get me to post more email me at   
moon_pup@hotmail although I'm at the message board above more than I check my   
email (hint hint). Okay on with the story. -puppy  
  
Carina 13b   
(to stay here with you)  
  
Meanwhile...Jake sat on the operating table with Carina cradled against his   
chest. He wanted to hold her tightly and tell her everything was going to be   
okay but he was too afraid of hurting her and even more afraid that every thing   
wasn't going to be alright. Her head was slumped forward over his arm to keep   
the blood from flowing down her throat, and he held a cloth to her face to   
collect it. He tried to comfort her the best he could while the doctors tested,   
probed, and left without answers. Despite their assurances, Jake could tell that   
she was slowly weakening. He tried to reason with himself. Tried to convince   
his conscience that what had happened wasn't his fault but as her face got paler   
and her breath shallower his feeling of guilt grew stronger.   
  
Inside he couldn't help but think of the irony of the situation. He was holding   
a human weapon in his arms, a beautiful, sweet, intelligent girl who could break   
him in half. The fact that she was letting him take care of her made him feel   
wonderful despite his guilt, at least she didn't blame him. They sat there in   
silence and he didn't even realize he had fallen asleep until the movement in   
his arms startled him. She turned her head up to look at him. Her green eyes   
stood out even more incredibly against her paled skin.   
  
"Jake. You should go get some sleep," she said reluctantly. She didn't really   
want him go. The physical warmth he provided was comforting but knowing he was   
there, holding her in his arms was making her less afraid.   
  
"Someone needs to stay here with you," he said, grinning slightly. She looked   
up at him with unreadable expression but her eyes were warm and there were the   
beginnings of a smile on her lips. Suddenly the smile faded and looked away from   
him for a second. "Hey," he said shaking her gently, "what is it?" She took a   
deep breath and when she exhaled tears were starting to form in her eyes.   
  
"It's just," she stopped and tried to blink away some tears, "You don't deserve   
to get dragged into this. It's not fair to you." She said "this" but she meant   
"me". The pain of hurting her mother and the years of solitude were easily   
explainable, although still a little painful, when the computer in her head was   
a voice of reason. Now the voice of "acceptable risk," became doubt. She was   
faced with the feeling that maybe she should stay near him because of who she   
was. She frowned and looked away from him. "I can't control this. These   
emotions and doubts keep popping into my head," her voice cracked a little as   
she talked. "I don't know what to do. It's like two voices arguing but never   
concluding. I just want an objective," she concluded.   
  
"You're just a mere mortal like the rest of us now. It sucks." He scrambled for   
something else to help. "Just try for something simple, like getting better."   
She looked at him with a flicker of hope in her eyes. "Carina, I might not have   
picked what happened, but now that I've met you I wouldn't have given it up for   
the world. I might have installed a different program on Logan's computer but I   
don't regret anything else." He leaned down a placed a kiss on her forehead.   
"You seem to have stopped bleeding, I'm going to go see what the doctor's have   
to say." Jake looked up and through the glass at the three figures of Logan,   
Max, and Sebastian. He froze as he saw the worried look on the two men's faces   
and the tears in Max's eyes. "Oh God, please don't let it be that bad," he   
thought to himself.  
  
"What is it?" Carina asked when she felt him tense up.   
  
"Nothing." He pulled off a smile and lifted her body gently and he slid off the   
table and set her back down. He grabbed a sheet from near by and placed over   
her, carefully tucking it around her small frame. He brushed her hair behind her   
ear and kissed her cheek. "Get some sleep will ya," he said, smiling. She   
nodded and her turned away letting his smile drop. "please don't let it be that   
bad," he repeat to himself. "I'll do whatever you want"  
  
As he walked out the door he regretted leaving her, but from the solemn faces he   
saw through the glass he knew a prognosis had been reached. The tension in him   
built as he walked around the operating room to Sebastian's office. He had to   
remind himself to breathe as he turned the corner and three pairs of eyes   
confronted to him.  



	11. Carina14 I'm taking your car

Mad props to my beta Ana, the person who keeps me grounded and improving.   
Enjoy -puppy  
  
Carina 14   
(I'm taking your car)   
  
Max tore her eyes away from Jake's worried face, and stared down at the ground.   
  
"What does that mean?" he asked, barely keeping himself from yelling. Logan took a deep breath and   
looked him  
straight in the eye.   
  
"There are some complications, Jake. We need to replace some of the chips and…"   
  
"Then do it," Jake interrupted.   
  
"It's not that simple. We have to get a hold of her schematics." There was a long pause after Logan's   
assertion and the group sat in silence trying to ignore the obvious answer. Jake ran his hand through his   
hair in a helpless gesture, and looked back through the glass at Carina. Her eyes were closed, and although   
he was only a few feet away he could barely see her chest rise and fall and she looked like a ghost, her face   
was so pale. She was slipping away, and he felt powerless. The trio was taken aback as the man in front of   
them suddenly morphed into a lost little boy.   
  
"Logan, you have to fix her."   
  
"We will," Max assured him as she got up and headed for the door.   
  
"Max, where are you going?" Logan asked as he followed.   
  
"I'm going back," she replied, not looking at him. He speed up and stopped right in her path.  
  
"Not to Manticore, Max, you can't." Logan had barely finished his sentence, and before he could stop her,   
she reached into his jacket pocket. She pulled out his keys and dared him with her eyes to challenge it.  
  
"My bike is at your place so I'm taking your car," she said in a matter-of-fact way, and left  
before he could say another word. He sat in shock, unwilling to let the voice of reason penetrate. He knew   
she was right. Max might make it out, but Carina didn't stand a chance if nothing was done. But if Max   
didn't make it back…no he wouldn't let himself travel down that time line. The universe was always on   
time and it knows she's needed here…by him.   
  
"Max," a weak voice called. Logan looked to see Carina, half-leaning, half-clutching at the wall. She was   
staring at the empty doorway with a look of desperation. She closed her eyes with the realization that she   
had failed and that Max was gone and she began to slip. Jake was instantly there to catch her. "Jake, you   
can't let her go. She'll get herself killed," Carina spoke with as much force as she could muster but it came   
out only as a whisper. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the chair Max had recently vacated.   
With his arm around her should he helped her to sit and supported her as she tried to catch her breath.   
  
"Carina, you need to lie down and rest," Jake urged.   
  
"No. She shouldn't be risking everything for me. She'll get caught if she goes alone." Carina suddenly let   
out a gasp.  
  
"Carina! Are you…" he started, panicked.  
  
"I need a phone."   
  
Jake took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart "It was a sudden thought, it was just a sudden   
thought," he told himself. "you're going back first." She nodded, and let herself be picked up and carried   
back to the operating room. To his frustration, he was banished from the room as she made the call.   
Something about "the less he knew."  



	12. Carina15 to see him again

I don't usually use songs but Dido's "Honestly Okay" has the perfect feel for this part   
  
Carina 15   
(to see him again)  
  
I just want to feel safe in my own skin,   
I just want to be happy again   
I just want to feel deep in my own world   
  
Carina dialed the number and waited for the beep. It was Zack; he wasn't really into voice mail greetings.   
  
"Zack," she wheezed out. "It's Carina. Max is in trouble," she paused to catch her breath. "She went to Manticore.   
I'm safe, but you have to help her." Carina brought the phone down and went to turn it off when the buttons   
suddenly started to blur.   
  
But I'm so lonely   
I don't even want to be with myself anymore   
  
"God damn you, Manticore," she cried with frustrating. Her sight, her motor functions, every thing was tied in   
through the chips, and now she was losing control of it all. She tried to push the end button, but her hands were   
trembling and not quite responding. The frustration overwhelmed her, and she started to cry. Her world was   
shutting down blink by blink and soon she would be in darkness. Would that be the end? Could she just let herself   
curl up in a ball and let the world dissapear. "Suck it up soldier," she whispered to herself.   
  
On a different day,   
if I was safe in my own skin,   
then I wouldn't feel lost and   
so frightened   
But this is today and I'm lost in my own skin   
  
"Suck it up," she repeated louder. What had Jake said…something about finding a goal? She concentrated   
intensely on the first thing that came to mind…Jake. She wanted to see him again, to touch him again. She could   
feel his phantom touch wrapped around her. She lay there for a minute focusing on that feeling and running through   
their dialogs in her head. Her body started to respond and the darkness she didn't realize she had let in started to   
melt away.   
  
And I'm so lonely   
I don't even want to be with myself anymore   
  
Her tears stopped and she almost controlled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to find Jake   
beside her. His big brown eyes were full of sorrow, compassion, and warmth. She felt regret that she could die and   
never get a chance to know him, to be with him… A strange pain started to grow in her heart. She couldn't give it   
words until she looked in his eyes again.  
  
"Jake, I'm so scared," she said before breaking into tears again. He sat next to her and pulled her close, letting her   
cry into his chest.   
  
And I'm so lonely   
I don't even want to be with myself anymore   
  
"It's alright, Carina. Max will find what you need. She'll be back," he said it with certainty he didn't feel. What if   
she didn't make it back? What if Max was caught? He looked down at her trembling body and he had to shove those   
thoughts out of his head. She can't die, because he's only just found her.   
  
She lifted her head and looked at him. He gently brushed the tears away from her eyes. It was then that he realized   
that although she straight ahead she didn't seem to see him.   
  
And I'm so lonely   
I don't even want to be with myself anymore   
  
I just want to feel safe in my own skin,   
I just want to be happy again   
  
"Jake," she whispered. "Please kiss me again." She knew this was it. This was the last time she would get to be in   
his arms if they didn't find a cure. "Please," she begged. From the look in her eyes, Jake could read what she was   
thinking. He slowly leaned in and kissed her as tenderly as he knew how. Carina wanted to lift her hand and touch   
his face, his hair, anything but her hand wouldn't move, wouldn't do what she wanted. Jake pulled away and looked   
into her eyes. For a moment they focused and she could see his tears forming. "Why are you crying?" she asked.   
  
"I...Carina you can't go. I can't lose you like this," he said quickly, before his courage left him.   
  
"The old me would give you percentages, rationally tell you the likely hood of surviving this," she forced out. She   
needed to finish, needed to tell him. "But none of that matters." Her vision got blurry again and she struggled to stay   
focused on him. "Jake I can't imagine not loving you and being here with you, so this can't be the end," she rushed   
out. It was an irrational thought, not basis in logic but to her it was indisputable. "And I'm so scared because I love   
you and this just can't be the end." She struggled to keep her eyes locked on him but everything was fading. She felt   
his lips on hers and then she barely heard him as he said that he loved her too.   
  
Carina went lose in his arms, and he carefully laid her down on the bed. Medics suddenly appeared and flew around,   
plugging her into all sorts of machines with bells and whistles, but he barely noticed them. The world  
had stopped, the mute button was pressed, and all he could see was her. He was blindly pushed into a chair by her   
bedside, and his vigil continued.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Miles away a pay phone receiver dropped to the end of it's cord and swung wildly. In the distance was the sound   
running footsteps and then a motorcycle revving up. Coming from the dangling phone was a weak voice finishing   
it's plea. "I'm safe, but you have to help her."   
  



	13. Carina 1619a the knight in shiny armor, ...

After putting it off for a really long time I decided to post the whole story of Carina on this site. Up till now there was a Beta reader but you will just have to muddle through my bad grammar, sorry . The sequels in the Forest of the Night and Carina and Jake are unfinished but I will be posting what is written. 

  
  


Just in case someone missed this post back at the old board here the last one before the update I'm about to post. Yah!!!!(kermit style) 

1. Carina 16   
(the knight in shiny armor) 

Max sat in the cave waiting for darkness. Just two more hours and she could risk entering the compound. Mentally she was traveling the hallways of Manticore in her mind, trying to ignore the phantom child soldiers that came along with doing that. The doctor's kept the records on disks. Copies were made and stored in a protective case that was kept in Lydecker's office. She knew her enemy. She knew he would keep those disks until the day he died as a reminder of his failure. 

Max suddenly went on full alert as she heard a branch crunch outside. She ran to the back of the cave and hid. She wanted to stalk whomever it was from next to the opening, pounce as they entered. She wanted to beat something up to get out her frustrations but to fight would announce her presence and for Carina's sake she couldn't risk it. 

The footsteps echoed louder and louder, at least to her supersensitive hearing, until whomever it was, was inside. Manticore never use to do sweeps of it's land but after the pulse surveillance may be different or maybe she tripped a wire somewhere without knowing it. 

"Max," she heard a familiar voice whisper. Her head popped out from the rock she was hiding behind to find Zack searching the cave for her. 

"Zack?" she questioned as she stepped out. "What are you doing here?" 

"I could ask you the same thing," he said disapprovingly. "I got a call, said you were in trouble, that you were coming back here." Max tried to control her irritation at the knight in shiny armor bit that he was trying to play. 

"I didn't come back to catch up on old times with Deck," she spat out. 

"They why are you here?" Zack said irritably. He already had to kill one man to cover her careless irrational behavior but this was Manticore. This was the place where they could take your soul away if there was such a thing. He knew she was probably just looking for more info on her siblings. 

"Carina is dying." 

"What?" Zack said completely blown away. "That's impossible, I just saw her a few days ago and she was fine." 

"She had a bad date with a scrambling signal and now she's gotta get some of the chips replaced before times up." He sat there for a moment, sentimentality freezing him. He hadn't lost one since the night of the escape but he wasn't about to start now. 

"What's the plan," he said snapping himself out of his daze. 

"Break into Lydecker's office, grab some disks, and don't get caught." 

"That's your plan?" He asked in disbelief. "What was walking into the compound and yelling, come and get me not good enough." Her eyes narrowed at him. 

"Unlike some people I actually passed the breaking and entering part of our training," They stood there for a moment in silence glaring at each other. If there had been any more animal DNA in them you probably would have heard growls and snarls. Max suddenly backed down as the image of Carina flashed through her head. "This is getting us nowhere. I didn't ask you to come Zack." 

"No, but you should have Maxie." 

"Either pitch in or go home," she snapped back. 

"I'm in but I don't like this," he said backing down. 

"I don't either but we don't have a choice," she said trying to pull back on her harshness. "We have to save her." They sat in silence for the next few hours reviewing what they knew about Manticore security and the layout of the buildings. When Zack finally gave the "move out" order she instinctively followed him. 

I just got a new idea!!! But you'll have to read to the end to find it. I can't spoil it now. 

1. Carina 17   
(uneasy silence) 

Distinct little cross hatches of darkness patterned her face and it looked as though they were a tattoo she stood so still. Young Max was crouched in the air duct looking out through the grate into Lydecker's office. High up in the room, it was the kind of place you would only look at if you had the time to relax and look around and Lydecker was a busy man. Right now he sat talking to an older doctor. 

"Do you think that the problem will be corrected in the next group?" Deck asked. You could see the glint of pleasure in his eyes whenever he talked about creating and training more kids. Max swore he looked about to drool. 

"The seizures appear to be a side effect to so much manipulation. It may not be avoidable in the future but we may be able to come up with treatments to fix the kids effected." He felt like adding some phrase about the side effects of playing God but this man never seemed in a joking mood. Deck nodded and The good doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a zip disk. Handing it across the table Deck took it and set it on the desk. 

"You're dismissed," He said without looking the man in the eye. The doctor did not expect a thank you or any of those pleasantries simply nodded and left. 

Lydecker waited for the man to leave before picking up the desk and a silver box on his desk. He opened the box and Little Max zoomed in for a better look. It was a long disk holder with what looked to have a special casing. Inside he flipped through little separators that had their names, not barcodes written on them. He stopped at one labeled "Soh". He stopped almost as if to give his reverence to the soldier before placing the disk in it's place. Max watched him with contempt. She knew he was probably thinking how Soh's sacrifice was for the good of the group. But she saw it all. After he collapsed on the floor, seizing, they dragged him away, she say them do the tests. In her heart she knew they're probably what killed him. The information inside him was worth more than his life. 

Deck closed the lid and she was suddenly thrown back to the present. She was back in that grate above Lydecker's office but this time Zack was guarding her escape route. She took a deep breath and popped the grating off, having cut the screws years ago, and placed it to the side. She pushed herself out up to her waist and grasped the edge of hole with her hands. She tucked her head and pulled her feet out gracefully. She lowered them until all of her was held to the wall. She let go and landed silently in a crouch on the floor. Standing up she stalked over to the desk, to the box she knew would be there. 

Sure enough it was and she flipped it open and searched Carina's section. It wasn't truly surprising for Max to find new names in the box. She did a mental inventory of the names and amount of disks each new soldiers had and the small amount of disks of some of the names she knew once. There were still a few X5's that seem to be alive and well. She only hoped not to meet one tonight. 

Max found Carina's disks and pocketed them. She shut the box and looked around to make sure everything was still in place before creeping over to the duct and pulling herself up and through it. Max crawled back to Zack and they left. That was it. No dogs to catch them, no soldiers to accidentally spot them and Max felt an uneasy silence settle over everything. It was way too quiet. 

There was no way Max or Zack could have heard her their stalker. Her wild feline DNA gave her an unfair advantage when the other Manticore trainees when learning to stalk but Jade had a thrill for it, and that made her even better. She was on leave but teaching these trespassers a lesson could be just the holiday she needed 

Carina 17b   
(he's not the bad guy) 

1. I sat in the corner with my arms laid across my knees and my head down. For the first hour my mind was blank except for the memories of the time I had spent with her which seemed to be on looped play. The more I saw her face and remembered her words the more frustrated I got. I should have said something else. I should have assured her more. I should have said I loved her….there, I said it. I know I've only know her for such a short amount of time but now it feels like she's been there forever. It's the same feeling you get when you think of a childhood friend. They've always been there even if they weren't in the spotlight. 

The second hour I shook myself out of my daze and look around. There were solemn faces all around. Sebastian sat at his consol watching the progression of the doctors. Secretly I think he was thrilled at the opportunity to take a look at her technology. But he was saving her and I guess his motivations did matter. 

Max sat curled up on Logan's lap and every once in a while they had a whispered conversation. When it would end Max would look away worried. Logan would tuck her head back under his chin and stroke her hair. Max had her moments of temper, believe me I would never forget those times she stormed out on Logan but this was something I had never seen before. The tough Manticore soldier looked as helpless as a lost kitten. 

From the corner of my sight I could see that that man was still staring at me. He had come back with Max and left again with her to steal the chips from a research lab at the Microcorp building. It was a little comforting at least that occasionally her would stop watching me and glare at Max and Logan for a while. I said a little comforting. He wasn't that big but the way he stood with his arms folded, showing off his biceps, it was an attempt to intimidate me…It was working. This had to be Carina's brother, I guessed, although I wasn't brave enough to find out. 

When the surgery was over Max and Logan left to get Chinese food, leaving me alone with the international staring contest champion. I still didn't talk to him until the food arrived. I asked him if he wanted a fork and he grunted something and took it from me. The following silence was broken by Max, who was feeling somewhat more together than before. 

"Oh will you stop it," she yelled at Zack. I tried to play off my burst of laugher by pretending I had choked on some rice and gasped out that I would be okay. That, of course, granted me another stare. I'm sorry but the guy takes the whole macho thing to far. I keep expecting him to say something like "they mine, you go now," in choppy caveman speak. "Things are hard enough without you playing guard dog. He's not the bad guy," Max spat out. He of course glared back definitely. 

"Oh yeah," he yelled angrily, "Then why 'is' she in this mess." He had gestured back in the room where Carina lay recovering. And that's where Max fell silent with her mouth part way open. I froze with relived guilt. She knew she had done a bad in telling Zack what had happened. That still didn't change anything. It was still my fault. Max looked to me apologetically but I averted my eyes. The only thing I knew to do was get up and leave. So I did. "Maybe I should leave then to take care of her" was the idea running through my head. "I love her but I almost killed her" was all I could think about.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I was going to get this beta read, which you might realize why after reading, but it didn't happen. If you have any thing you want me to explain in further posts just tell me. -puppy 

1. Carina 18   
(reprogrammed) 

Carina suddenly sat bolt upright and tried to cough but something was stopping her. She reached up and pulled out a long tube they had shoved down her throat. She gagged as she pulled it out of her mouth and looked at it with disgust as she threw it aside. She went to say something to make sure her voice chords were still working but she couldn't think of what to say. Her mind couldn't reach for anything relevant enough. 

Instinctively she looked to the chair beside her. In it there was a blond man fast asleep. She tried to think if she had met him before but her mind drew a blank. Suddenly there was a flash and the figure changed. The new person had dark brown hair and was taller. Then as soon as it had change it flickered back. She looked away in panic. Something was wrong. She knew she was suppose to be here but where was here. 

"You know my mother once told me," her head snapped around searching for the voice that echoed around her, "that I would never see my dream girl if I was looking so hard at computers. I think she would be pleasantly surprised to find herself wrong." Carina knew she'd never heard that line before but it sounded like it was to her. Again her reality began to shift as she was suddenly in a different room. There were red walls all around and she was lying in a bed. She looked up into the eyes of a man her age. It was the one in the chair, the one with the dark brown hair. She now noticed that he had most beautiful dark brown eyes. She would have added "that she had ever seen" but well that didn't really mean much. Carina looked at him and whined then pulled the covers back over her head. "No wait," she thought to herself. "What are you doing? I want to see him again." She realized then that it must be a memory because she couldn't control her actions, only watch. 

"Your not allowed to be charming." She heard herself say. 

"Is it against the rules," he laughed. She smiled inwardly at the warm and fuzzes his laugh gave her. 

"Most definitely. You have to go now before I do something unadvisable," she again heard herself say but she was thinking, "No wait don't go. I didn't meant that." 

"Like what?" He asked curiously 

"Either hit you or kiss you which ever reflex takes over." If she could have had her mouth open in shock of what she had just said it definitely would have been. She felt the sheet being pulled down again and her past self squeezed her eyes shut trying to refrain from doing anything except bite her lower lip. 

"I'll take my chances," Jake said as he brushed her lips with a light kiss. Reluctantly she released her lower lip from her teeth and started to kiss him back. 

Carina found herself back in the hospital looking room kissing the air. Instead of panicked she completely calm and relaxed. She looked around the room, which was held in an eerie silence, and she found it empty of people. That's when she saw it, the computer across the room. The screen was blinking and it began admitting a soft, repetitive beep. She got up off the table and when over to it. On the screen it was blinking "Enter command." The minute she saw that she stepped backward and tripped over some lab equipment and landed on the floor. Panic was written on her face as she scooted backwards away from the computer. She couldn't remember what had happened but she knew if she did what it asked something would take over her life again. "No I can't," she cried. "I don't want to please don't make me." The beeping grew louder and louder. It filled the room until every thing seemed to become charged by its presence. She clutched her head and screamed as loud and for as long as she could. When she had stopped the beeping had as well. She opened her eyes and looked up at the screen. On it was a message. An older female voice in her head spoke the words as she read them. 

"You must enter the command. It will keep you safe. I will keep you safe. I promise." She looked at it in shock. Something was different. She then realized that a piece of her was missing. The thing that she feared was the command not the voice. 

"What's going on?" she asked it. Words began to scroll across the screen as the voice spoke again. 

"You have been reprogrammed by Sebastian." 

"Reprogrammed?" she said feeling a little angry at the intrusion. "But how?" 

"Using AI technology developed at Microcorp." 

"So your part of me any more," she said almost sadly. 

"No but I will be with you always. Please speak the command." 

She took a deep breath and said clearly, "Initiate run command." She watched as the computer entered the command and began to initiate it's programming. It opened a clean up program that deleted the information downloaded during the scramble. The dark haired man appeared in her mind. "Jake," she said happily. Her memory was coming back. She remembered where she was, how she got here. The clean up program completed and the computer started a systems check. It was a strange feeling for her. Carina usually was an active part of these programs but now they ran themselves. She didn't know how to feel about it. 

"Can you hear my thoughts?" she blurted out. 

"Normally I will be unable to hear only what you speak. I had to create this graphical interface to make it easier on you to communicate. In the future I will only hear what you speak and will respond only when you need me." 

"But what happens when I don't ask for you. Are you turned off?" 

"No I will be on standby." 

"Doesn't that bother you?" Carina asked. Most people would only think that it being only a computer it did matter what happened when it shut off. Carina use to be a computer however and she felt guilt over the situation. 

"I was programmed to assist you in maintaining your functions. That is my only programming." Carina thought for a moment. This AI must being created to maintain a system somewhere it was the only likely possibility. 

"What do I call you?" 

"Sondra, It means helper or defender of mankind." 

"That's fitting I guess," 

"Your medical status is sufficient. Are you ready to go back?" Carina couldn't help but smile; she would get to see Jake. 

"Yes of course." 

Carina 19   
(Cat got your tongue)   
On last weeks episode:   
"Oh yeah," Zack yelled angrily, "Then why 'is' she in this mess." He had gestured back in the room where Carina lay recovering. And that's where Max fell silent with her mouth part way open. I froze with relived guilt. She knew she had done a bad in telling Zack what had happened. That still didn't change anything. It was still my fault. 

1. Max looked to me apologetically but I averted my eyes. The only thing I knew to do was get up and leave. So I did. "Maybe I should leave them to take care of her" was the idea running through my head. "I love her but I almost killed her" was all I could think about.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Jake walked out the door to the street. A cool breeze swept past him and for a moment he imagined that none of this was real. He would go home and help his mother get dinner ready. The guilt would be gone and she would be somewhere hacking into a computer happily. As horrible as it made him feel a little voice inside him protested, "but then you never would have meet her." 

"You make me not want to give that up," her words echoed through his head. He gave a grunt of frustration and leaned again the nearby brick wall. He slid down it to the sidewalk and held his head in his hands. 

"Why did she have to be so God damned wonderful," he muttered to himself. He kept telling himself that she would be okay but something inside kept reminding him of his guilt. 

"What's got you so blue little bird?" he heard a gentle voice ask. He looked ahead to see a pair of black leather pants. They made a stretching sound as the woman suddenly kneeled down to his level. Her dark eyes hid something dangerous and cold. He felt all the blood run cold under her gaze. Before he could blink she had his arms pinned down with a knife at his throat. "Cat got your tongue," she said with a little delight. He tried to struggle but she was remarkably strong. I suddenly dawned on him where she must be from. 

"What do you want?" he spat out. He might not be Carina's best line of defense but he was going to give up her up just yet. 

"No the question is what do you want," she said before getting very serious. "What did they take from Lydecker's office?" 

"His River Dance tape," Jake said smiling, "They just couldn't live without it." His attacker smiled back and removed the knife from his throat. With it she traced down the side of his face and brushed it across his lips. She stared at them while she talked. 

"Since you don't exactly seem the leader of this little band I don't think they'll mind too much if I cut out your tongue," she suddenly looked him in the eye. "But I really don't think that would be necessary. I think you're going to tell me all I need to know," she said in a dark voice. 

Just then Max decided to barge out the door. Before she had clear the door she began to say, "Jake, Carina's going to be…" She stopped suddenly and dropped into a fighting stance as she saw the figure in black leaning over him. The woman smiled and stood up, ignoring Jake completely. "Who are you?" Max barked but the woman completely ignored her question. She didn't even drop into a fighting stance. 

"Let see," she said thoughtfully, "Carina huh. That means you must be either Tinga or Max." Max was shocked. She compared the woman's face to the ones she knew at Manticore. 

"Jade?" she asked uncertainly. The woman clapped as she circles around Max. 

"Give the girl a prize. So that would make the blond either Grit or Zack. My guess is Zack. He always was the little shepherd." Jade did a fake lunge at Max and laughed when she twitched. 

"What happened to you?" Max said with a sad expression   
~~~~~~~~~~~~   
To be continued 


	14. Carina19bEnd you left me, 100 operation...

Here's the second part of 19. Just so you all know this is also the intro into my next story. 

1. Carina 19b   
(you left me) 

"What happened to you Maxie?" she asked defensively. She recognized Max's mannerisms when she pouted. No ones pout was quite the same. "You were suppose to leave Seattle a long ago. You've grown soft. What'd you do shack up with some civilian." Max narrowed her eyes and Jade knew she hit a nerve. She laughed in real disbelief. "Rollerboy in there is yours." 

Max lunged at her but Jade caught the flying fist and used it to spin her around. She pinned Max's arm behind her back and brought her other one under Max's chin. Max struggled but the grip was too tight. As Jade spoke the wicked bite to her voice was gone. 

"I just give me whatever you stole Max and I'll just forget I saw you." 

"And how you going to explain it to Lydecker? Daddy'll be pissed there's no body count." 

"I'm not on a mission so he doesn't have to know. You two were just lucky enough I'm the one who saw you." Max suddenly got leverage and flipped Jade over her. Jade landed on her feet and turned to find Max's foot planted square on her chest. She fell to the pavement and before she could stand a foot was pinning her neck to the ground. She could have gotten out of it, could have buckled Max's knee and flipped her off but brute force isn't the only way to win a battle. 

"Somehow I don't believe you," Max spat out waiting for the next attack. 

"Send the little blue bird inside to get Zack," Jade suggested. Max didn't even turn away from her as she barked out the order and Jake slipped inside. A moment later Zack rushed out and took in the situation. The second Jade saw him something in her snapped and Max found herself dropped and pushed aside. It wasn't meant to hurt her so Max, indignate and a little shocked, just watched as Jade rushed him. 

Jade was trembling with pent up rage and something dangerous was flashing in her eyes as she attacked him. He blocked punch after kick after punch easily. Her punches became more desperate and her technique disappeared as she was just throwing out punches and kicks. 

"You son of a b*tch," she screamed at him. He grabbed her and pinned her arms between them. She kept her eyes down and continued to struggle against him. 

"Jade stop," he ordered. 

"You son of a b*tch, you left me," she said beating his chest with her fist once more. She let her head fall against his chest. "You left me," she said as she started to sob. 

Zack lifted his head from her and looked at a completely stunned Max. He motioned for her to go inside and she at first refused. Zack glared at her, she glared back but ultimately went inside. If he was going to be that tactically stupid she would just let him deal with the consequences. When she had gone he looked down at the girl against him. 

"Jade look at me," he said gently. She didn't but instead pushed away from him. She hastily wiped the tears out of her eyes and stood expectantly. They stood in silence for a long time before Zack spoke up. "Are you going in to see her?" he asked. 

"I shouldn't," she said making eye contact again. "It would just make it hard on her." 

"Don't you mean on you," Zack said aggressively. 

"I don't want her to see me Zack," she spat out. "She doesn't need to see what I've become." 

"She's your sister. It won't matter to her." Jade stared at him for a moment. 

"Still having your moments of weakness huh Zack." 

"She'd want to see you Jade, I know her well enough to say that for certain," Zack said very seriously and he saw her deliberate for a moment. 

"I will if you tell me what you stole," she finally said. 

"It was the disk with Carina's schematics." Jade opened her mouth in disbelief. 

"You're a God d**n idiot Zack," she yelled at him. "Did you forgot every f*cking thing Manticore taught you?" 

"What are you talking about?" Zack retorted. 

"Oh God," Jade said and as she realized how much he had screwed her over, the blood drained out of her face. 

"What?" he asked, suddenly on alert. 

"The tracking device, it'll lead them right here," she said as she began to pace. 

"What tracking device what are you talking about?" he said as he placed himself in her path. 

"The tracking device in me," she said as her eyes grew sad. "Don't you think I tried to escape again? After the first few times they put a tracking device in somewhere during one of their experiments. And think Zack. Remember Lydecker always said know your enemy Zack. He's the kind of sick f**k who would review those disks every night before he went to bed. So he would know their weaknesses. Especially Carina because she just slipped through his fingers," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He'll think it was me," she added. Zack's mind raced. 

"What if you leave? They'll just follow that signal until they find you," Zack said. 

"But I've been here for hours. They're too smart to just pass this place by. Especially with the information they think I have. We have to get everyone out now."   
  


I've been rewritting this for about three days with all sorts of alternative endings(it's not the final ending so don't go getting your panties in a bunch lol) I hope you like it or are in complete shock, either one is good ;) -puppy 

1. Carina 20   
(100% operational)   
Strapped to a bench seat, her head was resting on someone's shoulder. Before she opened her eyes Carina could hear the crunch of the tires under the Aztec's wheels. They were traveling down a dirt road and the air smelled remarkably clean, they were definitely out of the city. What had happened while she was out? It must have been Lydecker, he must have followed them somehow. 

She was about to open her eyes when Logan suddenly hit the brakes. The seatbelt held her, as everything in the car suddenly shifted forward. 

"Way to go mighty protector you almost killed an endangered species," said Max with her unmistakable bite. Carina put her head back on Jakes shoulder and opened her eyes to see the priceless look Logan graced Max with. 

"Hey," Jake said softly in her ear. She looked up at him and smiled. 

"Hey," she replied. She reached her hand up and touched the stubble on his jaw line. "You look like you haven't slept in days." Her eyes switch to night vision as she studied his face and for the first time she noticed that there were dark circles under his eyes. 

"I haven't," he said with a slight smile. She felt her heart melt at his words. She thought of the irony; big tough trained killing machine turned to mush by a civilian. Daddy would be so disappointed. A sudden feeling of guilt passed over her and she averted her eyes from him. Lydecker would never let them go. How could she put him through that? Max had done it to Logan but Carina was different than her. She had too many lives to put at risk. She wasn't like the others who could simply forget things. In her Manticore could take literally access the information if they wanted. 

"Jake I…" she was suddenly stopped as he leaned in and kissed her. She was so lost in it that she didn't even hear Logan. 

"Is everyone…." he stopped mid question as he turned in his seat. "oh okay I guess that answers that question." He turned back to the front and looked at a smirking Max. "I think they're fine." 

"Yeah," Max responded. "Let's keep going. We want to make it there before dawn." 

Jake pulled back to look at a stunned, yet satisfied, Carina. 

"You can rationalize to death tomorrow. But I'm too tired now to put up a good defense." Carina nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder. Waiting till tomorrow wouldn't make what she had to do any easier. 

Max had made Logan take a zig zag route and it was another hour before they pulled up to Logan's dark cabin. Carina assured Max, despite her exhaustion, she was fine and the two of them checked out the perimeter. After they were sure it was all clear she woke Jake and, although he assured he was wide-awake, he stumbled inside and to the bedroom Logan directed him too. It was announced that was the other bedroom had the only computer so Max and Carina both had eyes for the couch. 

"Don't even think about it," Max snapped. She hadn't slept in a nearly a week and the thought of Logan sleeping beside her wasn't the complication she was looking for right now. 

"Arm wrestle you for it," Carina said half jokingly. If Max was in the main room Carina couldn't slip out, that is if she decided to leave. She took Max's deadly glance as a no and headed off towards the guest bedroom. She would think everything again tomorrow. Everyone needed some rest, even her. 

She found Jake passed out on top of the cover. He at least had the decency to hang his boots over the side to keep the bed clean. She sat at the edge of the bed and slipped off his shoes before heading off to the bathroom to wash her face. With a blanket found in the closet she covered the both of them. 

Sometime during the morning she awoke to a pair of arms reaching around her. For a moment she froze and almost panicked but Jake whispered a hush in her ear and she relaxed. Soft yellow light drifted through the window and the room seemed to have a heavenly glow. She turned and met his dark brown eyes. 

"Are you recovered?" she asked. He chuckled in response. 

"I think that's my line," he said grinning. 

"Maybe so but you looked awful last night," She smiled and planted a quick kiss on his lips before he could protest. "What happened last night?" she asked, growing very serious. Jake hesitated. He didn't want to be the one to tell her because he didn't really understand it himself. 

"Max and Zack were followed from Manticore," Carina froze in his arms. "But it's okay," he said trying to reassure her. 

"How could it be okay?" she said as she pushed away from him. She swung her feet off the bed and reached for her shoes. "If they were followed from Manticore we shouldn't even have stopped. 

"But it was your sister," he blurted. Instantly she stopped and swung around to face him. 

"What?" Her mind was going through summersaults of emotions. It was all making no sense in her head. She couldn't come up with a plan of action. She turned away from Jake before he had a chance to respond. "Sondra," she said as she stood up and started to pace "what's wrong with my though processes?" 

"You are 100% percent operational." 

"But this isn't right. I can't think correctly." Jake watched her continue to pace hoping that he would soon be told why she was talking to herself. 

"All nonmilitary applications are running." 

"Can you activate the military ones?" 

"Whoa, hey what are you doing?" Jake said as he jumped out of the bed. Carina only gave him a "back off" look as she listened to Sondra's response. 

"Affirmative." 

"Can you deactivate them after wards." 

"Affirmative." Carina looked at Jake and took a deep breath. 

"Activate military programming." He gave her a look that she couldn't quite interpret. Was it sorrow, resignation, understanding or maybe something else? It didn't soon matter because when the program ran and the percentages were figured she knew what she had to do. She would have to leave. 

"Are you alright?" Jake asked her as he brushed her hair aside. 

"I'm 100% operational," she answered, inwardly shivering at the old familiar edge to her voice. Jake looked confused at her sudden change in personality. "Sebastian used AI technology. Sondra controls my programming," she answered simply. She turned to walk out of the room but Jake grabbed her arm. Jake went to say something but his mind was so over loaded he simply blanked. "I'm fine. Really," she assured him as she removed her arm from his grip and walked out. 

Okay so I wasn't going to post this now and even contempted trashing it but it's got another piece of the Forest puzzle. 

1. Carina 21   
(something cracked) 

She walked through the house. Numbness had set in and the cold calculating part of her ran the numbers again. No matter the input the result was the same. She would have to leave.   
Love was calculated to be 100%,   
Longing to stay 100%,   
risk of capture if staying 75%,   
risk of harm to civilians if captured 95%,   
necessity of leaving 100%.   
It had to be wrong and she almost had Sondra run another check but reality decided to rear it's ugly head. 

She walked out the back door and gripped the wooden railing with both hands. It was doing it again, calculating possibility after possibility without stop. It was grinding away at her nerves. 

"Sondra shut off all military programs." As she spoke everything suddenly grew eerily silent. For a long time the numbness continued but then something cracked. The stillness was broken but not by anyone one coming to give her a Dawson's creek talk or by black helicopters coming over the treetops. The silence was broken as Carina began to sob. And it wasn't a romantic, tears trailing silently down her cheeks, sniffle but full blown uncontrolled body wracking headache causing cry fest, something she had never experience in her life. She let the feeling of helplessness wash over her and soon she was sitting on the wooden porch hugging her knees and rocking. 

"Aren't you going out there?" Logan asked. Max stood looking out the kitchen window. She had woken early this morning but lay thinking until she overhead Jake and Carina's quiet argument. She was watching to make sure her sister didn't leave. 

"No, sometimes the best thing to do is to break down. Makes it easier to move on," Max said knowingly. She paused and looked down at Logan. "She's got to make hard choice." 

"So did you," Logan said provokingly. 

"Maybe I made the wrong one," Max said truthfully but knowing it would annoy him, "Life's easier when you can just run away and start over." They stared at each other for a moment. It wasn't an ultimatum or an attempt to make him see how little time they might have. It was just a truth that she knew in heart was true. She looked back out the window. 

There was a crinkle in her pocket and Carina reached in and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She looked at it curiously, wondering how she could have missed it before. She unfolded it and skipped to the bottom. 

"Oh my God," she exclaimed as she saw who it was from. As she started to read the letter she could almost hear her sisters dark voice. 

Hey runt. I stopped by but you were kind of indisposed. That's okay, it would have made what I had to do harder. Lydecker doesn't know about Max and Zack but since I disappeared at the same time as that God d**n disk he's gotta know about you. 

The kid is cute. I assume he's yours because he won't even leave me alone with you and he's pacing on the other side of the room doing his best scowl. I could teach him a thing or two about that. *Carina smiled.* It probably didn't help that I pulled out the psycho tiger bit when I first met him. Messed with his head a little but not too much. *She could almost see Jade smiling wickedly when she wrote that* 

Deck is coming after me soon so I won't be here when you wake up. If I make it out we'll meet at the place. If don't, Zack will be there instead. *"She always was short spoken when it came to the hard things," Carina thought to herself.* I know he's going to try to follow me when I leave but you know that you can't hunt the hunter. He'll know where to go from last time. 

And for some sisterly advice, don't push the kid away. He's got that look in his eyes that makes me think he would face down all of Lydecker's minions for you. He might have to someday but you can't give up that kind of happiness because you might lose it one day. Okay enough of the philosophical b*ll s**t. Take care or yourself baby sis. 

Jade 

Carina folded the letter up and placed it back in her pocket. She reached up and pulled a chain out from under her shirt. She opened the attached locket. Inside was a picture to the two of them smiling at the camera. Although Carina had auburn hair and green eyes and Jade had black hair and almost black eyes they were obviously related. The picture was taken when Jade was 15 and Carina 13. They'd grown up with completely different families. Carina lived on a farm with two parents and a whole litter of brothers and sisters. Jade lived with a retired officer in Chicago. He was from Manticore, trained them in evasion and tracking. Carina sometimes wondered if he might have been Jade's real father or at least some of his DNA. Zack didn't like it but the man's love for his adopted daughter was obvious. 

Before she was recaptured Jade would spend the summers with Carina. Zack used to visit with her sometimes; but he was easier in those days. Before then he hadn't lost any of the 12 that escaped and he had them all under his protection. 

Carina closed the locket and looked out into the trees. Jade always loved to drag her out in the middle of the night to play in the woods. She sighed and sniffled. If Jade hadn't come to visit her that summer she would have never gotten captured. Carina didn't want to loose anyone like that again. 

  


This is short but it doesn't fit with the rest so I'm making it it's own scene. More in just a little bit. -puppy 

1. Carina 22   
(silent but unchanged)   
Carina marched into the kitchen and up to the table where Max and Logan were having coffee. 

"When are we leaving?" she asked Max. 

"We're not?" Max said defiantly as if they had been arguing this same problem for years. 

"What do you mean you're not?" she said exasperated. "Lydecker is probably all over the city by now and Jade might be wrong. He may be looking for you too." 

"Then I'll deal with that when I get there." Carina frowned in confusion. Max lifted her coffee cup and Carina slammed it back down, ignoring the hot liquid that splashed on her hand. 

"I don't understand." Max looked up at her with impatience. It was like staring at the female version of Zack. 

"I've told Zack this before and I'm only going to tell you once. I'm not leaving. Just before Deck decides to stroll into town doesn't mean that I have to give up my life. I had friends here and I'm not about to give that up." 

"Is your happiness worth their suffering down the line? It's my friends I'm trying to protect, what are you?" With that Carina stormed out leaving Max silent but unchanged. 

  


Carina 23   
(The End) 

1. I have to say that was the longest shower I've ever taken. The words rinse lather and repeat will forever be associated with bad memories. I made myself stay in this shower until I knew I could face her without grabbing her by the shoulders and yelling 'What are you doing? How can you just walk out on me like this?' I could never be selfish enough to say the last part of this but I know she's going to try to leave. I can feel it. Even if I she couldn't kick my a** I could never physically make her stay. I'll just have to give her a really good reason not to run. 

Jake walked out of the bathroom to find Carina searching the room. She stopped at his entrance as if suddenly realizing something and breezed past him into the bathroom. She emerged holding her boots. 

"Had to be sure you didn't try to leave while I was in the shower," Jake said as he watched her sit down and slip them on. 

"Do you really think I would have left without saying good bye?" she snapped. Inwardly she cringed at her tone but outwardly she was ice. Her voice wasn't telling her to leave now but her heart was. If she stayed any longer she might not be able to go at all. 

"In a second." He jumped as she suddenly broke one of little metal loops on her boots off. She swore and threaded around it. "I think if that computer told you to do something you would do it. Probably told you that leaving would give you the smallest harm to civilians." She stopped and for a split second he thought that he almost had. "Carina that computer program can't tell you the right action because it's just military." She finished and made for the door without looking at him. "It doesn't consider love." He had struck a cord and she stopped suddenly. Slowly she turned around to face him. 

"Are you saying you love me?" the cold expression on her face had melted away and suddenly she looked as lost as he felt. 

"Yes…I do" he said as if it were the most obvious thing. 

"But you've only know me for a week," she said in confusion, "How could you love anyone some one so fast?" Jake took this opportunity to advance on her. 

"I know. How could a guy like me fall for some one who's so annoyingly kind and sweet and don't get me started on how intelligent you are cuz you know I only go for the ditz blond hair twirlers," at this Carina couldn't help but crack a smile. Jake stepped right in front of her and brushed her hair back as he spoke. "And you know that gorgeous bright red hair and those mysterious green, do absolutely nothing for me. And those lips…" 

"Jake I can't stay," she said derailing him just as he was leaning forward to kiss her. He didn't back up but only hovered there, his breath blowing across her lips making her shiver. 

"I wasn't asking you to stay," he said as he looked her in the eyes. 

"Than what do you want?" she asked quietly. 

"To go with you." Carina's heart suddenly felt as if it had dropped to her feet along with her jaw. She tried to speak but she was unable to form a coherent thought. Jake took advantage of her stupor and kissed her. She soon recovered her wits and kissed him back with all of her heart. The moment became more heated and Carina suddenly realized she was loosing control and pulled away suddenly. He could see the confusion on her face. She was going to run. 

"I have to go," she said as she backed away from him. 

"Where are you going?" he asked desperately. 

"Away, I have to go now." She turned and walked out. He followed her down the hall and out the front door. 

"Carina wait…stop," she whipped around to face him. 

"This is good bye Jake." She said trying to bite back tears and keep her face neutral. 

"But it can't be. I want to go with you," he pleaded. 

"But you can't," she said her lips starting to tremble betraying her composure. "You'll get killed or something worse." She turned to leave and he reached out to grab her arm impulsively. He found himself tossed to the ground. "Good bye," she said sadly before she turned away and ran across the field and into the woods beyond. 

Emptiness filled him as she disappeared into the trees. He had failed her some how and he didn't know if he would ever see her again. Whatever the answer was, he would miss her and he would wait for her to come back.   
THE END 

He feels her smile when he's afraid,   
it reminds him of his life before she went away   
He might crumble, but he'll not fall,   
if the memory of his only love can stay that way   
Still has his dreams, they will get him through,   
till his life means something more than to lose   
Cos he's still wondering when she's coming home   
and he'll tell her what he's done today   
He doesn't want to lose this memory   
of the only part of life to him that's safe.   
Still hears her key, turn in the door,   
disappointment running through him,   
she's not coming anymore   
He sees his friends, turns on that charm,   
but his heart's not in it, doesn't want to move on   
He has his dreams they will get him through,   
till his life means something more than to lose   
Cos he's still wondering when she's coming home   
and he'll tell her what he's done today   
He doesn't want to lose this memory   
of the only part of life to him that's safe.   
He's missing out on life,   
because he doesn't know how long to keep her in his mind   
His life's been hers too long and now he's picking up the pieces   
just to stay alive   
And he's still wondering when she's coming home   
and he'll tell her what he's done today   
He doesn't want to lose this memory   
of the only part of life to him that's safe. 


End file.
